Day 10: Blessed to be a Blessing

“Your grace is enough
Heaven reaching down to us
Your grace is enough for me
God I see your grace is enough
I'm covered in your love
Your grace is enough for me
For me.”  –Your Grace is enough lyrics

Yesterday I went running at memorial park, this song came on my Pandora radio. As I listened to the words, I kept thinking Is God’s Grace really enough for me? I have heard this song many times and sang along to it at church during praise and worship. I have never stopped to ask… Do I really believe what I am singing? Does my life reflect this? If His grace is enough, if that’s all I need all that matters… then why do I worry or complain about the various things in life? If I am truly seeking God and patiently waiting for his guidance in my life, should I have desires for anything other than him?

"Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him" (Psalm 37:5-7)

If we are truly delighting in Him: Putting our faith in God and obeying his commands, then YES! God will give us the desires of our heart; however God’s timing is not our timing. Also, when we are seeking Him, we need to ask that the Lord changes our desires if they are not from Him. Not everyone will receive desires such as a luxury car, a six figure salary, fancy clothes, or a nice vacation home. These things are worldly possessions and will never fully satisfy our hearts. When these things become the desire of our heart, we will never be complete; there will always be something else we want. The “desire” will never be filled. However, I do think God blesses his children and if blesses us with something nice we should realize it is a blessing from God and it is only temporary, it should not consume us.

Many times God blesses us so that we can bless others. I have been really convicted lately to give back. The bible instructs us to tithe and give to those who are less fortunate. I will be the first to admit that I struggle with this. It is hard to give your hard earned money, but I do believe that act of selflessness is rewarded! If I chose to bless others not only with my time, but also through monetary measures, God will bless me in return. I need to stop being so greedy and realize that everything I have belongs to Him. Although I may work for my paychecks, God has blessed me with a job and it is not my money, it is His! *My Challenge to myself- How/where am I giving back? This week I am going to give to someone or something other than myself!

Acts 20: 35 “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Luke 6: 38- “Give, and it will be given to you.”

Proverbs 11: 24- “One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.”

1 Corinthians 16: 2- “On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.”

Deuteronomy 15:10- “Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.”

Proverbs 3: 9-10- “Honor the Lord from your wealth and from the first of all your produce; so your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow with new wine.”

“The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving.” 

~ Albert Einstein