What's Your Story?

 I will bless you....and you will be a blessing!

When God called Abraham from the land of Ur among the Chaldees (modern day Iraq), His words to Abraham were, "I will bless you ... and you will be a blessing" (among all the families of the earth).

God's purposes have not changed.  His one purpose in calling any one of us is the same as it was for Abraham:  I will bless you... and you will be a blessing.....on the earth, to your family, to those who know you, to your people, to your country, to your students, your patients, your co-workers......

And how does He do that?  First, He calls us, like Abraham,  away from "the empty way of life handed down to us by our forefathers" (1 Peter 1:18).  He calls us out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).  In other words, no matter how fine a family we have, no matter how wonderful our education and training, we are not by nature fine and wonderful people.  We are still infected and affected by the natural world around us with its pagan culture and attitudes.  We must be born again of water and the Spirit in order to even "see" the kingdom of God. (Jesus' words to Nicodemus, a fine and upstanding man of distinction in Israel.)

Many people believe that the whole purpose of going to church is to make us "good people," and the logic that flows from that belief is that "I can be a good person without going to church" (and by implication, "I am a good person already; I don't need to go to church.")   But let's assume for a moment that Abraham was already a good person when God called him; I'm sure he was.  His goodness had no bearing on the case.  Jesus himself said, "I came to call sinners, not the rightous."

And what does He call us TO?  To friendship with Himself.  "I will bless you!"  "Enter into the joy of your master."  First, as in the life of Jesus on earth, He calls us into table fellowship, friendship, with Himself.  Saint or sinner, He wants to break bread with us, to listen to us, to hear our secrets and to reveal to us His secrets...the secrets of the kingdom of God.  

First, friendship (John 15:15), blessing, peace, His own joy and His own relationship with the Father (read John 14, 15, 16, 17).   So far from "being a good person."  So far......

And because we are His friends, and because we have entered into His own life with the Father and the Holy Spirit, we become like He is.... a blessing to those who know us.  A blessing on the earth.  No longer at strife with our families, with those around us, but a blessing to our earth.  So many "good people" still dread holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas because of the drama surrounding family gatherings and the conflict from old wounds.  One man recently reflected on his "family apostolate."  That is, God had blessed him to minister in his church, but first to minister to his six children and his 13 grandchildren.  He was focused on being a blessing to his family first, and then to others.

If we find God anyplace, we find Him in our own stories.  Where has He been in our lives?  Where have we experienced His call "out of darkness into His marvelous light"?  How has He led us into a land flowing with milk and honey? How has He blessed us....and made us a blessing to others?