Propagating God’s Waves of Blessings

We all approach God with the expectation to be blessed by Him. Indeed, the Creator lavishly gifts us with his presence, promises, instructions, reprimands, and material abundance – all intended to enrich our lives.

Yet, God’s coin of blessing has another side.

The Father touches us with the urge and hope that we pass on his blessings to others. He invites us to join his mission to reach out and lift up our fellow humans.

God sends his blessings in waves, and urges Christians to be the ripples that share his grace.

This model recurs throughout the Bible. Here are two Old Testament examples to illustrate it.

God gave extravagant promises to Abram, renamed Abraham, and his future descendants. His name would be “great” (Genesis 12:2). He and his wife would overcome their old age and barrenness and become “a great nation” (Genesis 12:2). God would bless this future Father of Faith so that he could be a conduit of Divine blessings to “all peoples on earth” (Genesis 12:3).

God gave Isaiah a vision of heaven that was beyond words (Isaiah 6:1-4). But his awe-inspiring experience was meant to lead him to a life of prophetic service.

We find the same ripple strategy in the New Testament.

Simon and his business partners, all expert fishermen, had spent a fruitless night of fishing. Jesus showed up in the morning and blessed them with a huge, net-breaking catch of fish. Christ used this jaw-dropping blessing as a springboard to thrust them into a world-blessing mission as His Apostles.

The widely despised Zacchaeus was delightfully honored by an unexpected overnight visit from Jesus. The infamous tax collector who had amassed wealth by overtaxing defenseless citizens turned into an unrivaled philanthropist. He passed on the blessing of Jesus’ visit to the poor and oppressed.

You justifiably ask, “What do these historic events have to do with our 21st century, technology-driven, financially independent, and comfortable lives?”

The unprecedented physical comfort and conveniences achieved in modern times have not alleviated the excruciating pain and suffering brought about by the Fall. The consequences of sin still haunt us relentlessly and ferociously. Beneath the assured smiles and the falsely cheerful faces online hide wounded hearts and hopeless souls – all captive to human sin.

While the Enemy takes pleasure in tormenting us, God agonizes over human misery and actively seeks to free us from the influence of evil. God keeps asking, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” (Isaiah 6:8). He is searching for agents of his “ripple strategy” whom he can bless and empower “to proclaim good news to the poor,” and “proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free…” (Luke 4:18).

But “what’s in it for me?” some may understandably ask.

As per the Creator’s design, the full impact of God’s blessings can be experienced only as we pass them on. There is a goldmine of fulfillment and joy to be experienced in blessing others. We observe this among those whom Jesus touched. They were bursting with delight and were eager for others to enjoy Jesus’ blessings. The Samaritan woman at the well is a case in point.

Some curiously continue probing, “is there a cost in blessing others?”

Yes, there is. Our parents sacrificed their comfort and pleasure to raise and nurture us. Indeed, nothing is free. Everything we received came at a price for someone.

We owe our salvation to the Gospel that was delivered to us through the sacrifice and service of faithful saints in the past. The places of worship and fellowship that we and our families cherish and benefit from were built by visionaries who invested their time and money to bless us.

We must never forget the supreme sacrifice that secured the greatest blessing. Jesus paid the price of unimaginable suffering, rejection, and isolation to save us. He set in motion the ripple of Divine Blessings that has touched us across two thousand years.

We have a duty to bless others in gratitude for those who blessed us with the faith and abundant life that we enjoy.

This article was published in the Forum of the Armenian Evangelical Union of North America, Issue 45 Winter 2024.