Words Of Encouragement For Your Day (Thursday 03/15/2012

It’s My Pleasure And My Blessing

2 Corinthians 9:5-10 Amplified Bible (AMP)

⁵That is why I thought it necessary to urge these brethren to go to you before I do and make arrangements in advance for this bountiful, promised gift of yours, so that it may be ready, not as an extortion [wrung out of you] but as a generous and willing gift. ⁶[Remember] this: he who sows sparingly and grudgingly will also reap sparingly and grudgingly, and he who sows generously [that blessings may come to someone] will also reap generously and with blessings. ⁷Let each one [give] as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, "prompt to do it") giver [whose heart is in his giving]. ⁸And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation]. ⁹As it is written, He [the benevolent person] scatters abroad; He gives to the poor; His deeds of justice and goodness and kindness and benevolence will go on and endure forever! ¹⁰And [God] Who provides seed for the sower and bread for eating will also provide and multiply your [resources for] sowing and increase the fruits of your righteousness [which manifests itself in active goodness, kindness, and charity].

            My mother texted me to ask me to do her a favor yesterday, after we had an exchange of a few text messages concerning what she needed for me to do.  She sent a text message that said “thank you.”  My response was “it is my pleasure and my blessing.”  A few years ago, my mother asked me to do something and as easy and natural as could be that sentiment came across my lips.  I have come to understand over time that the things that I am able to do for others, whenever I am afforded the opportunity to do for others whether by sowing in prayer, counsel, witness, time, effort, talents and finances, is a blessing from God that I am allowed to be in the capacity to help bless another human being or to sow into individuals that God has allowed to come across my path or be entrusted in my life.  All too often we do not think of giving as ministry or as a blessing.  Think about this for one moment, God could use anyone to give into the life of another individual, but instead of just randomly choosing He chose you, He thought enough of you to give you that opportunity to be a blessing and He positioned you for a blessing, out of your obedience.

            Many times we are excited to help, but somewhere down the line, we either have a change of heart, or was it a change of heart?  Maybe the feelings that are surfacing are not a change of heart but really the truth of how we really felt all along.  For some of us we are fine until people don’t return a favor, or act as we think, or when they are not there in a season in which we feel we need them, then we come into a place where bad mouthing them, talking about how much we have done for them and all that we have been through with them becomes the topic of conversation with everyone but them.  We begin to see them differently and a sense of disrespect, disillusionment and disgust replaces those feelings of love, care and willingness to do.  My mother taught us a principle many years ago, don’t do anything that you will regret or that will cause you to resent someone later, and to always do for others thinking it will never again return to you and lastly doing it because you really desire to make a difference in that person’s life or you are led of God to do so.  Many of us are looking for God to do big things in our lives and we are diverting our own blessing with our attitude and behaviors because we chose to do things for people and now we are angry about it.

            I told my daughter bless people because it is what God desires of you and you are willing to release it all into God’s hands, not to gain an upper hand or because you want something in return.  Our sorority has a motto “it is not about us, but it is about Zeta,” for me I say and live, ”it is not about me, but the will of God in my life and His will being done in my life and through me.”  It is about being a cheerful giver in whatever it is I am giving. I must say that I have been in places where I gave to individuals and they dogged me and I felt some kind of way, but then I had to come to the realization that my ability to give it to God, leave it at the alter and allow God to move on my behalf was placing me in a posture for God to move for me and right the wrongs and bless me in spite of.  It is when we let go and let God that He can Bless us beyond measure and abundance is ours and will come to us because of our attitude and our faith in the one who set us in the position to give in the first place!