ETERNITY

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When you think of being "blessed" by God, what do you think about? Most of us think "blessing" and immediately think about a personal gift from God, something that we can enjoy as a reward for having been obedient. We have a completely selfish reaction, a "look what God did for me" reaction when it comes to blessings. When God blesses you and me, His intent is to do more than throw a jewel to just one of His children. God's blessings are intended to have an overflow effect – to flow out from the one receiving the blessing to many others. If God allows a man to get rich after many years of poverty, it's not just so that man can pay all his bills and have all the many luxuries of life that money can buy. God intends for that man to put the money to good use, to glorify His name, to bless others through his own blessing. God blesses each of us with talents, talents that we should be using to His glory, to bless others with our blessing. In every blessing we receive, there is a way to give it an overflow effect – to allow that blessing to flow out to others so that they, too, can be touched by the hand of God. Look at the blessings you receive from the Father. Are you clutching them to your breast, selfishly guarding them as yours and yours alone? Or are you allowing those blessings to overflow to those around you, so that through your blessing many others can be blessed as well?

Bonnie Ricks
Dogwood Ministries