Doing Blessing Well

t’s not uncommon for someone at church to approach me wanting to know what resources the church offers regarding managing their finances. Every one of these inquiries, with the exception of one, has come from individuals who were in financial despair due to the loss of employment, poor financial decisions, or unexpected bills that exceeded their resources. But there was the one person who came to me and said, “Phil, I would like to talk to someone about my finances. I could use some guidance.” I asked him if he could elaborate on what he was struggling with and he gave this answer. He said, “Over the past year or so, my business has really begun to prosper. It appears our tough years are over and we are beginning to really do well financially.” I was puzzled. Why would he need counsel when things are going so well? He explained, “I want to do ‘rich’ well!  God has blessed us immensely and I don’t want to mess this up. I don’t want to be selfish and consumed with my new-found prosperity. I want to do ‘rich’ well.”

How refreshing! I was amazed with this man’s mature perspective regarding blessing. He realized some very important things about God’s blessing. First, he was grateful, acknowledging that his abundance came from the hand of God and not his own. Second, he recognized the human tendency we all have to allow the things God has blessed us with to, ironically, become a curse. He wanted to do blessing right.

I’ve had the privilege in recent months to be the deliverer of this man’s quest to do rich well. He’ll approach me with an unmarked envelope with a check, cash, or gift cards enclosed. He heard of or spotted a need in someone’s life and wants me to deliver his gift to that person anonymously. As he hands me the envelope, he most often says, “Now, if you see they need more, there’s more where this comes from.”

I think doing blessing well is tougher than it looks. I hear people who are in financial need say they’d rather be on the giving side than the receiving side. I understand that completely but I think most of us don’t understand how difficult it is to be rich and to be godly. Jesus mentioned that with his reference of a camel passing through the eye of a needle. It’s just as tough for a rich man to find his way into the Kingdom of God.

If you look at the Old Testament history of the nation of Israel, you see they too had a major problem with doing blessing well. There’s a chronic cycle in the OT of obedience, drift, rebellion, pain, and then a cry for help until God sends a rescuer to restore them to blessing. Why doesn’t blessing last? Why do we drift? Even more importantly, how do we stave off the drift to rebellion?

Because of their sin, the nation of Israel was exiled for 70 years. No home, no country, no identity. But, God in his mercy rescued them and gave them a chance to return home and rebuild. Ezra and Nehemiah were two godly leaders who led the return from exile and the rebuilding of Jerusalem both physically and spiritually. As the walls of the city surrounding the Temple of God were completed, you can sense a new season of blessing coming to the people. It’s almost as if you can hear these leaders say, “Let’s do blessing right this time! Let’s set the foundation deep so we don’t drift.”  

When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, all the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel.

So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law. Nehemiah 8.1-3

The Israelites renewed their vows to God. They listened attentively and then reestablished their foundation and identity given them in the Book of Law.

We all tend to drift away from blessing because of our propensity toward rebellion and selfishness. Is it time to cry out to God for rescue? Is it time to renew your vows? Is it time to listen attentively to the Word of God? Is it time to do blessing well?