Christian Ministry Training Blog

In previous posts we considered how God wants us as His people to bless others as we have been blessed. We can find some good lessons in Ephesians 1 about our blessings in Christ Jesus.

Lessons from Ephesians 1 of How We Have Been Blessed

Take some time to reflect on what Ephesians 1 teaches us about how we are blessed.

1. We are blessed by God in Christ Jesus.

• the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us (Eph. 1:3)
• through Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:5)
• freely given us in the One he loves (Eph. 1:6)
• in him we have (Eph. 1:7)
• in Christ (Eph. 1:9)
• under Christ (Eph. 1:10)
• in Christ, in him (Eph. 1:13)

2. We are blessed with every spiritual blessing.

• blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Eph. 1:3)
• adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:5)
• glorious grace, freely given us (Eph. 1:6)
• redemption through his blood (Eph. 1:7)
• the forgiveness of sins (Eph. 1:7)
• marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13)
• guaranteeing our inheritance (Eph. 1:14)

3. We are blessed in accordance with the sovereign and purposeful will of God.

• he chose us in him before the creation of the world (Eph. 1:4)
• he predestined us for (Eph. 1:5)
• in accordance with his pleasure and will (Eph. 1:5)
• with all wisdom and understanding (Eph. 1:8)
• according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ (Eph. 1:9)
• to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment (Eph. 1:10)
• having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will (Eph. 1:11)

4. We are blessed for a reason beyond ourselves.

• to be holy and blameless in his sight (Eph. 1:4)
• to the praise of his glorious grace (Eph. 1:6)
• to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ (Eph. 1:10)
• in order that we … might be for the praise of his glory (Eph. 1:12)
• to the praise of his glory (Eph. 1:14)

5. We are blessed out of the good heart of God.

• in love … (Eph. 1:4)
• in accordance with his pleasure and will (Eph. 1:5)
• grace, which he has freely given us (Eph. 1:6)
• in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us (Eph. 1:7-8a)
• according to his good pleasure (Eph. 1:9)

With blessings from a good and gracious God, we have all we need to live a purposeful life as a blessing to others. — “Praise God from whom all blessings flow!'”

We previously established that God wants His people to be a blessing to others, resulting in praise and glory to Him and the building up of the people we bless. Treating others with the kind of grace and love He has shown us, however, doesn’t come naturally. We must ask what it takes to be a blessing to others.

Components for What it Takes to be a Blessing to Others

Since blessing others goes beyond mere vocalization of the words “God bless you” to authentically demonstrating His love and grace, we must consider all the components that go in to the ability to do so.

1) The Mental Component to Being a Blessing: Be Intentional

Hebrews 13:16 exhorts us, “do not forget to do good and to share with others”, suggesting that we need mental reminders to bless others.

We might forget because we get so busy and consumed with our own lives and needs. Blessing others may require intentionally making time for one another. What can we do to set up reminders to look outside of ourselves?

Forgetting to do good to others also happens when we forget the blessings of God in our own lives. If we don’t keep God’s grace and mercy toward us in the forefront of our minds, we’ll tend to overlook verses like: “Freely you have received; freely give” (Matt. 10:8) “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Eph. 4:32)

2) The Heart Component: Be a Humble Servant

Doing good and sharing with others emulates the heart of our Lord “who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Phil. 2:1-4)

Blessing others may mean laying aside our own interests and conveniences for the good of others, giving of our time and resources. To this end doing good and sharing with others is considered a sacrifice, and according to Hebrews 13:16, “with such sacrifices God is pleased.”

3) The Spiritual Component: Be Equipped to be a Blessing

Since the kind of blessing God wants us to be doesn’t come naturally, we need Him to work in and through us. — “Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (Heb. 13:20-21)

Also keep in mind that God uses Scripture to thoroughly equip us for good works (2 Tim. 3:16-17). He uses His Word to renew our minds so a transformation takes place (Rom. 12:2) and to adjust our heart attitudes, propelling us toward Christlikeness in the way we treat others. — “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Heb. 4:12)

We live in a self-centered, self-serving world. God, however, wants His people to be a blessing to others. That doesn’t just include those we like, those who agree with us, or those who have been good to us, but also those who seem hard to love, with whom we disagree, or who have wronged us. Jesus commands us, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Lk. 6:27-28). He goes on to say, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. …” (Lk. 6:32-34)

Why We Should Bless Others

We have something to offer others because God has first “blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Eph. 1:3). We are “enriched in every way so that we can be generous on every occasion” (2 Cor. 9:11). We are comforted by God so we in turn “can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (2 Cor. 1:3-4).

We are blessed so we can be a blessing to others. This has been God’s way for His people to respond as seen even back to Abraham. God said, “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing … all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Gen 12:2-3)

What it Means to be a Blessing to Others

To bless others, then, is to extend God’s grace to them as we too have been recipients of grace (Eph. 4:29, 1 Pet. 4:10). To bless others is to show them the love of God that we ourselves have experienced (Jn. 13:34; 1 Jn. 3:14-18).

We’re exhorted, “let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth” (1 Jn. 3:18). Here are some ways we can be a blessing to others by extending His love and grace to them:

• speaking uplifting and encouraging words that “benefit those who listen” (Eph. 4:29)
• living authentically and honestly (Eph. 4:14-15; Col. 3:9; 1 Jn. 3:18)
• being kind and compassionate (Eph. 4:32)
• being hospitable, making people feel warmth and welcome (Rom. 12:13)
• sharing of our resources to meet needs (financial and otherwise) (Rom. 12:13; Heb. 13:16)
• answering kindly to those who speak wrongly to or about us (1 Cor. 4:12-13; 1 Pet. 3:9)
• doing good to those who have done wrong to us (Lk. 6:27-28; 1 Pet. 3:9)
• forgiving those who have wronged us (Eph. 4:32)
• praying with gratitude for people and letting them know you’re praying for them (2 Cor. 1:11; Eph. 1:16; Col. 1:3; 1 Thess. 1:2)

What Happens When We’ve Blessed Others

When we’re a blessing to others, God is pleased (Heb. 13:16) and glorified (Matt. 5:16), often resulting in thanksgiving to God (2 Cor. 9:12-13).

As we bless others, it just might spur them on to bless someone else to love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24). As we follow the example of Christ, they can follow our example (1 Cor. 11:1).

And, though we aren’t to bless others for our personal benefit, remembering Jesus’ words that “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts. 20:35), God does reward us for the good we have shown (Prov. 11:25; 19:17; Lk. 6:38; Heb. 6:10; 2 Cor. 9:6). The reward may not always come immediately or be a tangible reward but He “will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them” (Heb. 6:10).

Since all this can happen as a result of us being a blessing to others, we need to ask what it will take for us to become more and more of that kind of blessing — the topic of the next post.

For help on specific ways we can bless others, check out this resource: People Helping Ministry Manual