Channels Of Blessing

Channels of Blessing

Read: John 13:12-17

“Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

John 13:17

“We may easily be too big for God to use, but never too small.”

—Dwight L. Moody

IN WORD The blessedness of service is an enigmatic thing. We know that if the only motive for our service is getting a reward, we would really be self-serving, not selfless, so we rightly seek other motives. Nevertheless, Jesus holds God’s favor out there as a promise for those who will serve others in His name. Why?

There is a spiritual principle at work when we do anything in the Spirit, character, and name of Jesus. A dammed lake that has little outflow can receive little inflow. But when its floodgates are opened, it can accommodate rivers flowing into it. Likewise, we were not created to be untapped reservoirs of His grace. We cannot store it up, and we cannot legitimately withhold it from others. But when we serve in humility, willingly taking a role that’s inferior to the ones to whom we minister, we become like Jesus. In effect, we become channels of His blessing. His mercy flows out, and we are emptied enough to receive more of His mercy.

This is how Jesus does His work in this world. The church is His body; its members must do the things that He would do if He were here in the flesh. Our works must look a lot like the things He did during His earthly ministry. If His Spirit is in us, we will be like Him and we will act like Him. His Spirit will flow from us to a needy world; and His Spirit will flow into us because we have not been stingy with His grace. We receive blessing because we have become blessers.

IN DEED Do you seem to have little of Jesus’ Spirit? Perhaps it is because you are not sharing what you do have of Him with others. Begin to serve, and you will begin to see Him serving through you. The blessing you give will be the blessing you receive in even greater measure. Only when you’ve emptied yourself can you be filled.