Christmas Blessings

I recently read that the average American loses $75 every year. Quarters in the couch, bills left in the cash dispenser, money laying near the register… Seventy-five dollars! But get this, the average income world-wide is only $69 per year. That’s right: Americans lose more money than most people make! Aren’t we blessed – I mean, so blessed?!? I have a theory that we sell more stuff at yard-sales than most of the world ever accumulates. We sell our stuff so we can get more. Funny thing is, we didn’t buy half of that stuff in the first place (another blessing!).

#1 We are blessed!

There is a danger to having so many blessings… gravity. The more that you and I accumulate (mass), the greater the magnetism for even more. This is gravity. All kinds of things have gravity: churches, music groups, mutual funds, etc. Like a snowball rolling downhill, momentum feeds popularity which supplies mass which builds energy. Before you know it – WHAM! It’s a hit! This is where we must read the warning label: Gravity works directly against grace. Grace gives out; gravity pulls back in. Gravity is when our smile comes into sharper focus than God’s smile. I believe that is exactly what Psalm 67 addresses: the blessing, danger, and purpose of God’s grace.

#2 We are blessed to bless others

The New Testament parallel passage with the sixty-seventh Psalm is 2 Corinthians 8. Paul writes to a church to encourage them in the grace of giving and generosity (v1-7). He is sure to remind them that this entire conversation must be framed by the proper motivation: love (v8,24). If we don’t have love, we don’t have anything. Faith works by love. Love is not the end, but it must be the beginning. In fact, giving proves our love.

We are not left without an example of grace and giving. Christ is the model. He is the embodiment of grace and giving (John 1:14, 16). And just as Jesus gave with grace, we are sent to give in the same way (Jn. 20:21 – ‘as’ denotes mode/manner). Just as Christ was the Light of the world as He walked its sod (Jn. 9:5), now we are to light the world (Mt. 5:14).

The method is simple: by sharing. There should be more of a balance between the rich and the poor, the have and the have-nots. So many Americans point upward at the elites and say, ‘Yeah, share!’ But the Apostle points at me and you and says, ‘You, share!’ (2 Cor. 8:13-14). Like a cup that’s too full or a muffin spilled over the pan, we are called to distribute to those who are less fortunate. We are blessed to bless others. You are blessed so you can become a blessing! If your blessing was stolen from you, we’d think of Robin Hood. If it were forcibly removed and given to the poor, we’d talk of Communism. But Robin Hood nor Karl Marx did not write this book – Christ is its author, and He says to share! When asked how one should demonstrate his religion, John the Baptist answered the same: ‘Share!’ (Luke 3:11).

#3 We are blessed to bless the Lord

Twelve times, the Word of God speaks ‘blessing the Lord.’ This speaks to the root of why receive grace: for the glory of God. When we are blessed, God gets glory (even if only from the angels). When we show gratitude, God gets glory from our mouth. When we are generous, God gets glory from us and from those we touch. When we give, God gets glory from others who receive. This inspires me to give and share the blessing. Because when I do, God’s glory increases! Psalm 67 gives the most clear ‘explanation of benefits’ we could ever receive (better than Humana or Anthem). We are blessed because He is good. We are blessed to bless others – so they will be able to praise Him – then we will be blessed with more! What have we been blessed with? Have we shared it with those who need it?

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. – 2 Corinthians 9:15

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