How to Bless Others at Easter (Part II)
It is upon us - Easter is this weekend. As we mentioned in our last post, for a Christian, it is a special day set aside to remember the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. This event is the capstone of the Christian faith and proof of Who Jesus was according to Romans 1:1-4.
Last week, we talked about how we could “bless” others at Easter. As we looked at the first three letters of the word “bless” we noted how we could be used by God as we continue the “Missio Dei”, the mission of God in reaching the world. Our lives are to reflect the risen Jesus, allowing Him to work through us as we yield to Him. As we begin, bear with me as we briefly review last week’s thoughts.
The letter “b” reminded us to “be in prayer.” Begin each day by asking God to use us as He sees fit. Look for those “God appointments” where we have the chance to serve and encourage others. Seek God as we go throughout the day and see what happens.
The letter “l” reminds us to “listen.” We need to be willing to engage in conversations with people, being discerning as we do so. Some people will mask things so they don’t have to interact with others. Ask God for a heart to understand what someone may be trying to say. In addition, just be willing to put the time in talking to others. When we show people that we are interested in what they have to say, we show them that we care.
The third letter “e” means we “engage.” To do so, we must be among people. For many Christians, we live in our Christian “bubbles” and have no contact with people in need of the Lord. To engage requires intentionality. We have to be willing to interact with those outside of God’s Kingdom. Sometimes those conversations just happen, other times we need to take steps to interact with others.
In this post, we look at the last two letters of our word “bless.” The first “s” tells us of our need to “serve.” Jesus said in Mark 10:45 that He had not come to earth to be served, but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for all.
Matthew 9:35-38 is a reminder of the mindset of Jesus that I must have also when it comes to serving. In this passage, He is proclaiming the Good News of salvation and doing ministry. Vs. 36 tells us as He looked at the crowds, He was moved with compassion.
The Lord saw the needs of the people. But more than seeing them, He also did what He could to help. Compassion is tied to action. When it comes to knowing who we can serve, here is just one question that can guide us. Who are we interacting with? Who is in front of us (if we could put it that way)?
Serving can happen right where we are. In our neighborhoods, in our communities and churches, there are opportunities to serve. At times, our serving is personal. We get to know people, their pain, joys, etc. This is not always the case, but there are those serving “moments” when we get to know a little more about those we are reaching out to.
God may use us in different ways. Ask God to guide us in ways we can serve others. He can open those doors to do just that.
Our final letter, another “s,” is tied to being prepared to “share our story.” We need, as a follower of Christ, to be able to tell others in 2-3 minutes about what God has done in our life. We never know when those times may happen where someone asks us a question about our belief in God.
We may also be asked by some to share our story. It is good to be prepared, to have it ready to go when those “God moments” come along.
I want to encourage us this Easter to look for opportunities to “BLESS” others. We never know how God may use us to touch the lives of other people. Have a great Easter and remember, Jesus is risen!!