A friend once passed on some wisdom that was passed on to him:
“You were blessed to be a blessing.”
In other words, when we receive blessing, it is our job to pour out that blessing upon others. As my friend described it, we were to see ourselves as a conduit for blessing those around us. God was gracious and generous to us, so that we in turn could be gracious to others.
It’s a Scriptural principle. The early followers of Christ were intent on “passing on” the truth that had been given to them (I Corinthians 15:3). They saw the possessions that they had been given as instruments of generosity to be shared with others (Acts 4:32-35). Jesus Himself told His disciples that others would recognize them as His followers based on how they loved each other. And what would prompt their love for one another – His love that He had first given them (John 13:34-35).
The saying, however, is true in another way as well. Not only were we given good things in order to pass them on to others, but when Christ uses us to pass on His good gifts, that in itself if a blessing. In other words, we are blessed when we are a blessing. It is a privilege to be used in order to demonstrate Christ’s love and compassion to another.
Viewing service this way, changes your perspective on it. You no longer mind the late night phone calls, or the additional appointment at the end of an already busy day, because you realize that God is granting you favor by using you for His purposes. You realize that a lack of sleep is nothing in comparison to the gain in Heaven. You start recognizing all the benefits and experiences that God has given you, in order to equip you for this particular task. When faced with a difficult situation, your heart pleads “Lord, use this so that one day it might enable me to encourage or strengthen someone else,” rather than “Lord. please just end this!”
Not that I’m perfect at this. I still have days where I wonder how I’ll get things done. There are moments where I ponder whether I can really handle all the relationships and responsibilities that God has entrusted me with. But the more I see it as a privilege, the less I view it as a problem. The more I see it as a blessing, the more I realized how blessed I am.