Blessed to Be a Blessing: How God Can Use What You Already Have

My nightly prayer almost always begins with the same words: “Thank You, Lord, for the many blessings You have given me.”

My morning prayer usually starts in a similar way. Before my feet have even hit the floor, I can think of plenty of reasons to be grateful. I have a family I love, a home, food to eat, work I enjoy, and more little everyday blessings than I could ever count.

Of course, not every day feels easy or especially blessed. Some mornings begin with worries, aching joints, a long to-do list, or something has been misplaced, and my husband is absolutely certain I moved. But even on those days, God has still been good.

I am deeply thankful to be on the receiving end of the Lord’s blessings. However, I am beginning to understand that receiving a blessing also comes with a responsibility.

God does not bless us simply so we can collect His goodness and keep it all to ourselves. He often blesses us so that His goodness can flow through us to someone else.

What Does It Really Mean to Be Blessed?

How many of you own a shirt, coffee mug, sign, or throw pillow that says BLESSED?

You see that word everywhere, and I understand why. It is a beautiful reminder to notice God’s goodness in our lives. I love that we can display our faith and gratitude in simple ways.

But sometimes I think we use the word “blessed” only when life looks the way we want it to look.

We feel blessed when the bills are paid, our health is good, our family is happy, and everything seems to be falling into place. Those things are certainly blessings, but God’s blessings are not limited to comfortable circumstances.

• Sometimes the blessing is strength for a difficult season.
• Sometimes it is peace when nothing around us feels peaceful.
• Sometimes it is wisdom we gained through a mistake we would never want to repeat.
• Sometimes it is the ability to comfort another person because we have walked through a similar heartache.

Not every blessing arrives wrapped in pretty paper. Some of them are discovered only after we have cried, prayed, waited, and looked back.

Should We Feel Guilty for Our Blessings?

There have been times when I have looked at the blessings in my life and felt guilty.

I see people who are struggling financially, grieving a loss, dealing with illness, or carrying burdens I cannot begin to understand. It can make me wonder, “Lord, why have You given me so much when others are going through so much?”

Gratitude can turn into guilt before we even realize it. But guilt is not the proper response to God’s goodness. Gratitude is.

The better question is not, “Why did God bless me?” It is, “Lord, how do You want me to use what You have given me?”

That question changes everything. Instead of apologizing for a blessing, we can offer it back to God and ask Him to use it.

God Blessed Abraham for a Purpose

While reading Genesis and the story of Abraham, I began to see this more clearly.

Genesis 12:1-3 (NIV)
¹The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
² “I will make you into a great nation,
    and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
    and you will be a blessing.^[a]
3 I will bless those who bless you,
    and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
    will be blessed through you.”

I have read those verses many times. Like most people, I usually focused on God’s promise to make Abraham into a great nation.

Abraham and Sarah had wanted a child for years. By every human calculation, the odds were stacked against them. Most of us probably would have accepted that it simply was not going to happen.

But God’s plans were not limited by their age or their circumstances.

Abraham continued to trust the Lord, and God kept His promise. That part of the story has always reminded me to have faith, keep praying, and trust God when the situation seems impossible.

But this time, one phrase stood out to me: “You will be a blessing.”

God did not simply promise to bless Abraham. He said that Abraham would become a blessing to others.

The blessing was never intended to stop with him.

God’s Blessings Are Meant to Flow Through Us

None of us is Abraham, and God has not given us the same assignment He gave him. Still, I believe there is an important principle here for all of us.

God can use what He has given us to help, encourage, teach, support, or care for someone else. We are blessed to be a blessing.

That does not mean we are responsible for solving every problem we see. Goodness knows, we could wear ourselves completely out trying to rescue everyone. We are not the Savior, and trying to act like one will leave us tired, frustrated, and possibly hiding in the pantry with a bag of cookies.

• But we can remain available.
• We can pay attention.
• We can ask God to show us the needs He has equipped us to meet.

Your Blessing May Not Be Financial

When we talk about blessing others, our minds often go straight to money.

Financial generosity is important. Giving to a food pantry, helping a family in need, supporting a ministry, or paying for someone’s meal can make a tremendous difference.

But money is only one kind of blessing.

• You may be blessed with good health and enough energy to volunteer, prepare a meal, care for a grandchild, or drive someone to an appointment.
• You may be blessed with patience and the ability to sit quietly with someone who needs to talk.
• You may have a gift for teaching and can help another person understand something that has always confused them.
• You may be good with numbers, technology, sewing, cooking, organizing, decorating, gardening, or fixing things.
• You may have a beautiful singing voice, but you might also have the gift of encouragement. And honestly, a sincere word of encouragement can sometimes be just as powerful as a solo on Sunday morning.

God can use all of it.

The Things You Take for Granted May Be Gifts

Sometimes we overlook our own gifts because they come naturally to us.

The woman who can prepare a meal for twenty people without breaking a sweat may not think cooking is a blessing. The woman who can walk into a room and make everyone feel comfortable may not realize hospitality is one of her gifts.

The person who remembers birthdays, checks on friends, sends cards, or notices when someone has gone quiet is offering something valuable.

You may think, “That is nothing special. Anyone could do that.” But not everyone does.

What feels ordinary to you may be exactly what someone else needs.

God does not need us to have a huge platform, an impressive bank account, or a long list of qualifications. He can use our time, our experiences, our homes, our voices, our hands, and our willingness.

The question is not whether our blessing looks impressive. The question is whether we are willing to share it.

Even Difficult Experiences Can Become Blessings

Some of the most meaningful ways we bless others grow out of the very things we once wished we had never experienced.

A woman who has walked through grief may know exactly what to say, or what not to say, to someone who has just lost a loved one.

Someone who has struggled with anxiety may recognize the signs in a friend and offer compassion instead of judgment.

A person who has made financial mistakes may later help a younger family avoid the same ones.

God does not waste our pain.

That does not mean He caused every hurt or hardship. It means He can redeem what we have been through and use it for good.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)
³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

The comfort God gives us can become the comfort we offer to others.

Ask God Where Your Blessings Are Needed

It is easy to become overwhelmed by all the needs in the world. There is always another cause, another crisis, and another person asking for help.

Sometimes blessing someone else looks much simpler than we expect. It may be a meal, a phone call, a ride to an appointment, or simply noticing the person right in front of us. That same idea came up in my post about “What Does Love Your Neighbor As Yourself Really Mean?” because loving others usually starts with paying attention.

We cannot do everything. But we can do the thing God places in front of us.

• Maybe there is someone you need to call.
• Maybe there is a meal you can deliver.
• Maybe you can give financially, babysit, mentor, pray, volunteer, or simply listen.
• Maybe your blessing today is a smile and a kind word for someone who feels invisible.

Do not underestimate the small things. We rarely know how God may use one simple act of obedience.

Blessed to Be a Blessing

Today, take a few minutes to thank the Lord for your blessings.

Thank Him for the obvious ones and the ones you may have taken for granted. Thank Him for your abilities, experiences, relationships, resources, and opportunities.

Then ask Him a second question: “Lord, how can I use what You have given me to bless someone else?”

You may be surprised by the answer.

And now I think I need to find a new graphic shirt. Instead of one that simply says BLESSED, I want one that says BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING.

That feels like a much better reminder.

To GOD Goes The Glory!

Have A Blessed Day!

Let’s End With a Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for the many blessings You have given me. Forgive me for the times I have taken them for granted or failed to recognize them. Help me remember that every good gift comes from You.

Lord, show me how to use my time, talents, experiences, health, resources, and words to bless others. Open my eyes to the people You place in my path, and give me wisdom to know when to speak, when to listen, when to give, and when to simply be present.

Keep me from comparing my blessings with anyone else’s. Instead, help me hold everything You have given me with open hands and a grateful heart.

May Your love and goodness flow through me so that others see You, not me. Use even the ordinary parts of my life for Your purpose and Your glory.

In Jesus’ name, amen.