Post Sunday May 3 2009

“And Laban said to him. Please stay, if I have found favor in your eyes, for I have learned by experience that the Lord has blessed me for your sake.” Genesis 30:27
As I was watching Alex interact with many of you after the service on Sunday and then listening to the podcast of Alex’s message I just thanked God for him. My life and my family’s lives have been blessed by he and his wife Becky being in it. Alex and Becky served alongside of me in the youth group at Crossroads and some of the most moving moments in the spiritual lives of the youth happened during that time and I still remember some events in which I personally laughed to the deepest most part of my soul because of the sheer fun we were all having together. My life has been blessed for their sake.

I could tell countless other stories about others who because of their simple presence in my life, not that they were talking to me every moment or stood beside me every moment, but just the fact that we were together in a church or my workplace, or my school, or my neighborhood, I benefitted from them, my family benefitted from them, again our lives were blessed for their sake.

In Genesis 30:27 we come upon Laban appealing to Jacob to stay. Jacob had come to his Uncle Laban many years before and from that time, because Jacob’s life was clearly blessed by God that blessing spilled into Laban’s life and the life of his family and business. Laban was no fool, he remembered what his life was like before Jacob, not that it was awful, but his life had reached a plateau and there wasn’t much movement happening. But then in came Jacob and the mere fact that Jacob was blessed of God and had talents and abilities that Laban did not have immediately and regularly blessed Laban. Laban could have taken credit for his sudden increase in wealth and joy (thus the danger of pride), but he knew that it was the presence of Jacob in his life and the value he placed on this relationship with Jacob….look at the next verse….

“Then he said. Name me your wages, and I will give it.” Genesis 30:28
The value…clearly priceless, Mastercard paled in comparison.

The story of the Good Samaritan that Alex taught from this Sunday is another story of someone being blessed by the presence of another.

Before Alex and Becky were serving with me in the youth group, the youth group was going OK, but after Alex and Becky began serving, the youth group was exploding. Coincidence or blessing? My hard work finally paying off or the blessing of Alex and Becky spilling into the youth group? I know it was the blessing that is upon the two of their lives and I greatly benefitted from it. I’m forever grateful for that.

Think through the individuals in your life and…..

 Thank God for those individuals this week
 Send that individual a note letting them know how priceless they are to you
 Don’t smother those individuals, allow them to be free to actually be present in your life and the lives of others and allow their God given abilities and talents to do what God given abilities and talents do….glorify God and the by-product of that…..bless others….remember you and others are blessed by it, don’t quench the Holy Spirit that is clearly working in them
 Allow God to use you so your life can bless others

Questions to Ask Yourself

1. Am I recognizing how God uses others in my life to bless my life?
2. How would God expect me to care for these individuals?

pastor e