The fruits of the Spirit aren't mainly for us. They're for sharing, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.-Galatians 5:22-23
“I’m blessed to be a blessing. I’m blessed. No really, I'M BLESSED” - AS God blesses me I BECOME AWARE THAT IT IS NOT JUST FOR MY OWN SAKE, BUT IN ORDER THAT I MIGHT BE A BLESSINT TO OTHERS!
Isn't that the point? God’s blessings in our lives aren’t mainly and solely for us, but for overflowing into the lives of those around us. We were never meant to damn up God’s blessings into a private reservoir, but to allow them to flow like a river, spreading life and beauty to those around us.
Our God is generous. He is the God of overflowing abundance, creating hosts of diverse interdependent wonders spanning the universe for his pleasure and ours. But, of course, his radically excessive extravagance is displayed most strikingly in the shadow of the cross, where his greatest sacrifice purchased our deepest gift—his eternal embrace. WE Can stop there, but SHOULD WE STOP THERE? I THINK NOT.... IT'S JUST TOO MUCH!
TO LIVE THE *JESUS WAY* we need to take the advice of God who didn’t stop there. Instead, as his own beloved children, we get to imitate him and reflect his generous character in our lives. We are to share his endless blessings with others. We’re “blessed to be a blessing.”So, what does it look like? What blessings are we talking about? Sometimes when we think of blessings, we think of stuff—proper measurables like our finances, our tangible goods, or our precious time. These are for sure blessings, things we are called to share with others. But, there’s so much more. God has given us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms (Eph. 1:3). Did you hear me say SOME SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS? NO MY DEAR FRIENDS, EVERY spiritual blessing.This brings me to our final point.Those fruits, the ones that the very Spirit of God is bringing about in our lives—can’t you see how they aren’t for just us? In fact, they don’t even make sense in a vacuum. Like, how can you be patient, if you're not ultimately being patient with someone. Or what good is gentleness without a recipient? Where is kindness or goodness or love if we aren’t kind, loving, and good towards someone else? Are you picking up what I’m laying down here? IN OTHER WORDS, WORDS WE, THE MEMBERS OF THE GLORY CHAIN LOVE TO CONFESS:
***IF YOU FOLLOW THE RECIPE - THE CAKE IS ALWAYS GOOD***
A personal truth for most ofus is that we used to say things like: “I wish I had more love, patience, or joy. I wish I was kinder or more gentle, or had more peace.” But, WE weren't really thinking about the practical benefit of such things. And such blessings aren't mainly our own, though it sure is nice to be blessed. WE ARE a CONDUIT a RIVER, a BASIN, a TUBE, a HOSE, a VESSEL, a VASE, a DISH, a BOWL, a PITCHER ***SOMETHING THAT HOLDS AND CARRIES WATER, BUT NOT JUST TO HOLD IT, BUT TO POUR IT OUT ONTO OTHERS....
BECAUSE WE ARE FILLED AND SATURATED TO THE OVERFLOW WITH THE LIVING REFRESHING WATER, IT ONLY MAKES SENSE THAT WE WOULD SEARCH FOR THOSE WHO ARE THIRSTY AND PARCHED, DRY AND IN NEED so that "As We" Pour Out onto Those, THE BEAUTY OF BLESSING ON is to Minister to Those in Need and watch how the Beauty of Generous Sharing causes those in need to be REFRESHED.
SO may the Beauty of God's Holiness be Captivated as we watch Life Return to those in need when we become AWARE that the gifts were not only for us, but for us to SHARE!