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Friday, December 18, 2009Count Your Blessings
Two old friends bumped into one another on the street one day. One of them looked hopeless, almost on the verge of tears. His friend asked, "What has the world done to you, my old friend?" The sad fellow said, "Three weeks ago, an uncle died and left me forty thousand dollars."
"That's a lot of money!"
"But you see, two weeks ago, a cousin I never even knew died, and left me eighty-five thousand free and clear."
"Sounds like you've been blessed...."
"You don't understand!" he interrupted. "Last week my great-aunt passed away. I inherited almost a quarter of a million."
Now he was really confused. "Then, why do you look so depressed?"
"This week... nothing!"
Have you ever tried counting your blessings?
We all know that God is the source of blessings. If all blessings come from God, it should be available to all.
Why is it that there are days when we feel that we are being denied of these blessings? Is it because of the stress and anxieties that we have? Is this the reason why we cannot experience the blessings coming into our lives?
Why does God delay or deny your blessings when you know that you are doing His will? Worshipping Him, praising Him, doing the right things, helping the needy and loving your neighbours?
Or maybe, our God blocks these blessings because He delights in our suffering. Or most likely, He withholds our blessings because He wants us to beg. Or probably, He refrains from blessing us because He is unaware of our needs.
My friend, if we are not being blessed, it is NEVER because of God.
God loves us so much. He could never withhold His blessings that were meant for us. He may delay it, for a reason, but He never denies anyone of receiving it.
Can you guess the most common reason why we cannot receive these blessings that are for us? You guessed it - ourselves.
We have a lot of barriers that block the blessings that are planned for us.
We have to overcome, tear down and destroy these barriers.
And you know what, this is one of the best things that you can do for yourself this Christmas.
The steps in removing these barriers are similar to the one that I shared in my blog "Man in the Mirror."
The first step is to identify what are these barriers.
Let me give you some examples from the scriptures on what are these barriers.
1. Covetousness - this was the cause why Joshua was defeated at Ai. (Joshua 7:16-26) You will never inherit the kingdom of God. (Ephesians 5:5)
2. Disobedience – instead of blessings, curses will come upon you and overtake you (Deuteronomy 28:15)
3. Unforgiveness - if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions (Matthew 6:15)
4. Rebellion – not just rebellion to God (1 Samuel 12:15) but also rebellion to your parents. (Mark 7:10)
These are only four of the obvious barriers that block you from receiving God's blessings. I am certain that there are others that you can find once you start searching within yourself.
Once you identify your barriers, the next step is to immediately remove them. How?
1. Recognize that there is a barrier. You cannot solve a problem if you think that there is no problem.
2. Accept that you created the barrier. Do not point your finger to anyone. This is one of our biggest challenges. Why? Our biggest enemy is our own self. We tend to justify ourselves because we favour our self. "I am right and I am not the reason why I have these barriers." If it's not you, then who? Search for it. You will be amazed how the grace of God works when you start this process.
3. Learn to understand why God allowed you to have those barriers. It may have been intended for you to learn something. That's probably the reason why there is a delay between the time you asked for the blessing and the time you received it.
4. Be humble enough to ask God to assist you to remove the barrier. Once you start asking for God's help, grace will flow instantly!
5. Get ready to receive your blessings then give thanks to God and bless your blessings by sharing them to others.
Some of these barriers will be very hard to remove. It is a process.
If you still have these barriers, does this mean that you will never receive blessings in your life? Of course you will. Let me share you my story.
A decade ago, I did not know how these things work. I thought that blessings were measured by the material possessions you have. When I lost all the material things I have, I thought all my blessings were taken away from me. Clouded with scepticism, I could not see what my future will bring me. I have no money, no car, no business and no job – no blessing.
After a while, I realized my failures and mistakes in life and learned to acknowledge them. I finally understood why God allowed me to fail so he can fill me with His blessings.
When I began to learn why I failed in life, that is when I started to experience God's grace working in my life. Failure purifies us. We become persistent. Persistence becomes faith. Faith becomes your virtue. That is a blessing!
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. (James 1:2-3)
Try asking yourself this question, "What is a blessing to me?"
Before, I only count the material things as blessings. A gift from a friend is a blessing. A big house is a blessing. Having lots of money and living a good life is a blessing. Driving a fancy car is a blessing.
But, what if you don't have these things? What if you only have a friend without the gift? What if you only live in a small house but you are living together as a family? What if you do not have any money but you are still able to inspire others with your talents? What if you stay healthy because you walk several kilometres each day for your daily commute?
Maybe you just need to change your perspective by removing the material things. Learn to appreciate all the blessings that you have in your life – good health, good friends, happy family, the food you eat, the air we breathe, the water you drink and, the sunny winter sky in Vancouver! It's endless!
If you have removed all the barriers, changed your perspective and you still could not see any blessing in your life, you will need divine intervention - pray.
When you pray, focus on the things of what God can do for you. Just believing that you have a God who will do everything for you, that is a blessing!
Have you heard the story of the woman who had hemorrhage for 12 years? (Mark 5:25-34 NAB) Can you imagine the suffering she had for all those years? Her husband probably left her. Her community may have abandoned her. Not to mention, she may have been the talk of the town on how unblessed she was!
She had done everything she can. She had many physicians but nothing worked. Her final hope was an encounter with Jesus for she thought, "If I just touch His garments, I will get well." (Mark 5:28)
Although she has a devastated body, she has a pure faith. Check her words – "I will get well." Not, "I might" or "I probably may" but "I will."
Because of her faith, she was blessed to be the only one in the bible (NAB) whom Jesus called "daughter." (Matthew 9:22 and Mark 5:34)
Friend, make every blessing count.
Finally, have you completed your shopping list already?
Below is a list of the best gifts this season. I received this list from an email and I would like to share it to you.
To a friend, loyalty.
To an enemy, forgiveness.
To your boss, service.
To your child, a good example.
To your father, honour.
To your mother, gratitude and devotion.
To your spouse, love and faithfulness.
To yourself, respect.
To all men, charity.
To God, your life!!!
Have a very Merry Christmas and may our Lord God pour out his abundant BLESSINGS to you and your family throughout this season!
God is the greatest!
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