Instead of labouring to be rich, you must labour to become a blessing to others. Instead of striving for wealth, strive to become a blessing. Why work with all your heart to get money, when you can work with all your heart to help others. It is time for you to decide to become a blessing to many people. It is far greater to become a blessing than just to be a blessed person!
Your ultimate vision for life must be to labour to be a blessing. Beyond a certain amount of income there is no benefit to the receiver. Beyond a certain number of houses you can no longer safely control what you have.
I would like to be like Abraham who became a blessing to the whole world. God said to Abraham, “All nations will be blessed through you”(Genesis 12:3). This is how God called Abraham. He called Abraham to bless him so that he would be a blessing to the nations of the world. You never find Abraham labouring to be rich. You find him labouring to obey God. You find him labouring to please his Creator. “Yet you find him becoming a blessing to the whole of mankind. Those who labour to be rich never achieve the heights that Abraham achieved.
“Paul warned all Christians and declared that rich people should be rich in good works. They should be seen as givers. They should be seen to be doing good things and distributing their wealth. He said that this would create a good foundation for them in eternity.
Notice Hannah’s vision. All she wanted was to have a child that she could give away. She did not want a child that she could keep. She did not want a child that she could play with and enjoy like any other mother. Because she was labouring to be a blessing, God opened her womb and gave her that child and much more.
It is rare to see people have a life’s goal of building God’s house. Most people’s life’s goals have to do with establishing their own houses and increasing their personal wealth. In this chapter, you will see people whose goals were to be a blessing to others. It was not about themselves. It was all about God and His kingdom.
Be a blessing to others! This is the highest call! The call to be a blessing! God is calling you today to be a blessing to many people. Some people are blessed but they never become a blessing to others. You must rise up to the challenge and become a blessing to others.
1. Labour to be a blessing to the whole world like Abraham was a blessing to the whole world. Abraham “never tried to be a rich man.
He never laboured to be rich. Today, he stands out as the man who became a blessing to the whole world. How did he become a blessing to the whole world? By labouring to obey God no matter what.
Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and THOU SHALT BE A BLESSING: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. Genesis 12:1-3
2. Labour to be a blessing to many people according to the instructions of Paul.
Paul’s instructions are clear. Have good works! Do good things! Don’t be high-minded! Help other people! Labour to be a blessing!
CHARGE THEM THAT ARE RICH in this world, that they be not high minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; THAT THEY BE RICH IN GOOD WORKS, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay “hold on eternal life. O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen. 1 Timothy 6:17-21
3. Labour to be a blessing to the ministry like Hannah: Give me a child so I can give him away to become a prophet.” She labored to be pregnant just so that she could give away the child. What an amazing testimony of laboring to be a blessing. How many people work so hard just so they can give everything away?
And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, THEN I WILL GIVE HIM UNTO THE LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. 1 Samuel 1:11
4. Labour to be a blessing to others in the kingdom of God. Seeking the kingdom of God first is seeking to be a blessing. Instead of seeking your personal wealth, you seek the wealth of God’s kingdom. As you seek the interests of God’s kingdom, you will end up having all things.
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of god, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:32-33