I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.   (Gen. 12:2)

At nearly every meeting, bible study, or conversation, John would find a way to say, “Blessed to be a blessing.”  Whenever I thought of John, I thought of this phrase.  He blessed people through what he said, how he looked at them, listened to them, and treated them.

John believed that blessings should be shared and not hoarded.   He never worried God’s blessings would dry up.  He trusted that the more one blessed others the more one would be blessed.

John knew that blessings were like water.  Trapped water gets stagnant and nasty.  Flowing water stays fresh and clean.

If you guessed that John was an uncomplicated man, a man who didn’t have much professional responsibility, you would be only partly right.  He was uncomplicated because he always remembered what was most important. But as to having little responsibility—no, that wasn’t true.  He was an attorney, involved with complex work, daily making hard decisions.  Some people were consumed by the stress at work.  John wasn’t.   Remembering he was blessed to be a blessing kept him sane and kind.

How have we been blessed?  Life.  Love.  Friends. Reason.  Skills.  Opportunities.  A home.  Work.  The grace of Jesus.  Every breath. Every beating of our heart.  All blessings.

Funny thing about blessings.  The more we look for them, the more we see.  The more we count them, the more we have to count.

Although I don’t see John as often because he moved out of state, I often think about him.  I think of him because he’s a dear friend and because I want to be more like him.

I share my friend John with you.  I pray that just as he has blessed me, so may his example bless you.

I encourage us to begin using John’s words as a refrain in our life:  “Blessed to be a blessing.”  Saying those words will help us to see our blessings, share our blessings, while also becoming a blessing to others.

Reflection Questions:

1. If you more often remembered that you are “blessed to be a blessing,” how would your life change?

2. Funny thing about blessings. The more you look for them, the more you see.”  Are you looking for them?  If so, what do you see?  If not, why not?

3. Do you think that other people see you as a blessing?  If not, what changes do you need to make to change their perception?

My Barnabas invites you to watch this video below: