My Worship Corner

“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.^[a]
3 I will bless those who bless you,
    and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
    will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:2-3

“5 minutes reading time“

I have always loved this verse. It comes to my heart almost every day as a reminder of purpose and the calling of God over my life. Sometimes we get so caught up in gifts and talents, especially the visible ones like singing, public speaking, or writing. We start to think that only people born with creative gifts are the ones who get to make a difference. But this verse opens up a deeper sense of purpose and personal ministry.

There are so many layers to it. Let me start by telling you why it means so much to me. I grew up without a dad. He passed away when I was two, and I was too young to remember anything about him. I have no memories, no recollection of any interaction with him whatsoever. But I never felt less then. I never felt like an orphan or a victim of my circumstances. And while I have an amazing family and a strong, smart, incredible mom who loves Jesus, that wasn’t the only reason I grew up with confidence.

From a very early age, I knew who my Father was. God has always been my Father. I went to Him for anything and everything, and I still do. He has been an ever present companion, and my relationship with Him has been just as real and steady as an earthly father’s love.

There is a verse my mom used to read to me all the time. “But (I, the Lord) show my love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” Exodus 20:6. She would explain the generational love of God and how our family lived under that blessing. On my mom’s side, my great grandfather was a minister and church builder, my grandfather supported ministries, and my grandmother who is 90 today, still wakes up every morning at 4 a.m. to pray for every member of our family. That generational blessing has followed me all the days of my life. Every morning when I wake up all that generational communion with God follows me, and I have the confidence to go about my day and do the same.

I learned early on that we are blessed to be a blessing. God chose Abraham and made promises to him, not just to make him happy but God promised to make him into a great nation so he could be a blessing wherever he went. A blessing to his family, to his community, and to the nations he lived among. And even beyond that, God went on to say that through him all peoples on earth would be blessed.

I don’t think Abraham had any idea that God was pointing to the greatest blessing of all. Not just land or prosperity or family, but Jesus Himself. The Messiah would come from Abraham’s line. At the time, Abraham had no reason to believe any of this was possible. He was old. He had no children with Sarah. None of it made sense. But in his heart he chose not to doubt but to believe. Not because his situation looked promising, but because God spoke it, and that was enough!

Abraham believed, and because he believed, today we get to live inside the continuation of that promise. Jesus the Messiah came into the world as a descendant of Abraham, as we see in both Matthew and Luke. (Matthew 1:2–17, Luke 3:23–38). And because of what Jesus did for us, we are now called children of God and spiritual descendants of Abraham too. (Galatians 3:7, 29). Those who are born again receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, and we now get to carry the good news of Jesus into the world. (Acts 2:38, Galatians 2:20).

Every time we share the gospel, we continue the generational blessing that began with God’s promise to Abraham, that through him all nations would be blessed. This is our greatest purpose. Even you don’t come from a family of believers, you can start that lineage but entering into that covenant today. Regardless of your background, the gifts we believe we have, or don’t have, God wants to bless us and empower us through the Holy Spirit so that we can in turn be a blessing to others in every area of our lives. Only you can reach the people God places in your life; each of us has a unique audience. Don’t be discouraged by the platforms or audiences of others. God has called you to go into the world and be a blessing. The means will come from Him, but the decision to believe and to go comes from you.

You are blessed to be a blessing, that promise still lives in you and though you. Take hold of that. Step into the world and declare the good news that in Bethlehem, in the town of David, a Savior was born (Luke 2:11).

This Christmas, let’s go…

… Tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere
Go, tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born!

Prayer: Dear God, give us the faith and boldness to believe that we are blessed by You beyond measure. Help us to live each day from that knowledge, turning it into opportunities to bless others and to bring more people into the understanding that Jesus Christ is our Savior.