Whoever brings blessing will be enriched,

and the one who waters will himself be watered. 

Proverbs 11:25

Blessing others will fill your cup. Blessing others will enrich your life. Blessing others is what God is always doing in the world. Blessing others is what God does for his people. Blessing others is the pathway to the life of contentment. 

God has wired humans and the world in such a way that when we live and act for the good of others we find blessing as well. Others-centeredness is the key to joy, not self-centeredness. So many people come to LA looking out for #1 (self) and then wonder why they feel so miserable. Misery is the product of a life that terminates on itself.

My wife has a phrase that I like to use when we talk about being involved at church: 

“Bless not Stress”

In other words, our ministry is devoted to blessing people with Christ and not obligating them to rules and requirements. We want people at All Souls Church to choose to be involved as a way to join in the blessing of Jesus. We want to paint a picture of the good life as a faithful presence in the world and be there to bless those around us and not stress those around us. We want to go out of our way to bless each other inside the church as much as possible. The Apostle Paul encourages us to “outdo one another in showing honor” (Romans 12:10).

The great theologian Augustine once said that man is “bent in on himself.” This is where so much of human misery lays. We repel into our own souls and get lost in the brokenness there or we turn our criticism toward our neighbors, bending in our ourselves in self-justification. But this is why Christian love is always directed to God and neighbor. 

When we direct our love vertically and horizontally

it gives us peace inwardly.

So I would encourage you this week to bless in every room you walk into. Be a presence of love, safety and mercy. When negative emotions sabotage you, take a deep breath, and pray that the Holy Spirit would fill you up and then act with blessing.

Here are a few ideas:

1. Say a kind word

2. Leave a big tip

3. Compliment someone's work

4. Call someone who is suffering

5. Include someone who is alone

6. Have someone over for dinner

7. Send them a gift card

8. Join them in an effort they care about

9. Take something off their plate

10. Do what no one else is willing to do

I’m sure you have a few ideas, too. May you be enriched as you bring blessing to the people around you.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Harvey