“Share The Wealth”: Blessed to be a Blessing

A lot of times when people take a platform to testify or speak of all the things that God has done in their lives, they often speak of all the ways that the process and end result has benefited them. However, as powerful as the testimony is sometimes, people still rarely mention a key factor: how this blessing they’ve received can be used to benefit the next person. This is to say that, although we are encouraged to embrace every breakthrough and victory that God allows us to experience, it is also important to remember that we are blessed to be a blessing.
 
We tend to overlook the fact that our fortune and abundance is not for us to keep; this applies in the sense that if I was blessed with something, whether material or intangible, as a believer in Christ, it’s almost unfair if I don’t share that same blessing with someone who desperately needs it as well. What forms can a blessing come in? Job, kind gesture from someone, your gift(s) given by God (spiritual and natural), etc.
 
Going further, our triumphs and victories are not even ours to take credit for!

An example of this is Jesus and the first batch of the twelve disciples: Simon (Peter), Andrew, James and John. The story is found in Luke 5:

4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”
5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

(Luke 5 v 4-11, NIV)

After witnessing what Jesus had done for them, and the amount of fish they had caught that day, they would have been financially set for life! So why didn’t they go on about their merry way, never needing to work a day in their lives ever again? What distinguishes Peter and other men that were on the boat from anyone else that could’ve been in that predicament is the fact that these specific men decided that they wanted to be a part of something greater. Yes, this unusual man allowed them to catch more fish than they could’ve dreamed of. But that’s what drew them in to follow Him, not what he had to offer them.

So, what does this mean? Plain and simple: It’s not the blessings that keep you attracted; it’s the One from whom the blessings flow! Therefore, it’s only right to share our blessings with those that can also benefit from them, which will ultimately declare how great God has been in our lives. In all, it’s important to live life as if we’re a walking testimony--because we are! And in that testimony, whether through knowledge or gesture, Christ desires for people to be edified through you. So remember, what He pours into you is great enough for you to overflow into others! Be blessed!