Recently I have noticed that I have been hesitant to ask God to bless me. I feel that I am so blessed with the life that he has given me, that it would be selfish for me to ask him to continue to bless me.
I know God is my father and he wants to bless me, he wants me to live the best life possible. So I prayed about this and the Holy Spirit lead me to Matthew 25:14-30 and I was dumbfounded. I almost began to cry. Here is the passage:
The Parable of the Bags of Gold
“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
“The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
“‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has, will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have, will be taken from them, And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
This is what I learned
How dare I be so selfish! Wow. I am acting like the servant who hid the bag of gold, afraid to invest it, afraid to use it.
God has given me a wonderful life, and as I look around I have been able to bless so many others, just because I’ve been blessed. God has used me to help others. He has blessed me so that others may be blessed.
When I don’t ask for my blessings I’m robbing others of their blessings.
I use to support a certain Bible College every month by giving $10 to help with whatever was needed. All the professors are Missionaries and live off donations. Their mission right now is to train others to preach, teach, or just learn more about God and his word. I know $10 isn’t much but it was all I could give, and it was really on my heart to give to this school.
Since God has blessed me with this amazing wonderful life, I’m now able to give so much more. And it’s not because of me, it is all God! I’m bragging on God here not me. This is all because of God.
If I had not asked God to bless me, I wouldn’t be able to bless others. I have been the servant who hid my masters gold. How shameful of me. I have decided to take the gold my Father has given me and invest it wisely in others. I have decided to ask for blessings each morning this year so others may be blessed by God though me.
Can you image? If God blesses me and Ai bless 5 others…. there will be 6 more people thanking and praising God instead of one.
God is so good to me. I am so thankful that he has revealed this to me.
There are so many ways to bless others. Sometimes just a smile can turn someone’s day around. My neighbor use to cut my grass for no reason except that he was out cutting his own and wanted to help me. (I was a single mom of 3 then). A friend of mine gave me a huge mound of collards once just because God blessed her with a bountiful garden. (Picture below)
Don’t ever stop asking God to bless you. He wants to use you to help others. Maybe he blessed you with a talent and you see a way to use it to bless others.
Don’t hold on to your blessings and do nothing. Don’t continue to accumulate things. Start sharing your blessings. Use your time wisely. When God sees how willing you are to bless and help others he will bless you even more. I am a walking talking example.
ASK FOR YOUR BLESSINGS!
To God be the glory!
Other verses to look at
Matthew 7:7-8 (NIV) “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
Stepping Into The Life 