Question: Do we have the right to promise God's blessings on others? How sure should I be of God’s blessings? How sure should I be of God’s blessings? Lately, a friend of mine had been experiencing one tragedy after another. And I told her that God could be preparing her for a "blessing." I promised her that if she did her best to overcome a situation, and prayed to God for guidance and help, he would be sure to bless her. I promised her this unequivocally.
And sure enough – God sent her a tremendous blessing! He sent it in such a way that his hand was very evident in how it happened.
But later I began to wonder if perhaps I may have been wrong in promising a blessing from God to my friend. I mean, aren't blessings are his to give? Did I even have the right to promise her that he would bless her? The only reason I did it was because I was so sure of him, but do I have the right to be certain enough to promise blessings from God to others? I am confused a little about how sure I should be of his blessings.
In Christ,
Pam
Answer: Dear Pam,
On the one hand, Christians are given the opportunity to "bless" others, because God has accounted us as righteous, because he gives us the commission to touch others’ lives as salt and light. By God's grace, we bless others by what we say and do, indirectly by example and directly by deed. We also bless others by asking God to bless them -- for example, the thought behind the phrase "God bless you" is more than simply a nice religious thing to say – but is the faithful and believing comment by one who is a disciple of Christ asking God to impart blessings to another.
However, some (often including clergy) make a practice of pronouncing a blessing -- as if they, personally were imbued with spiritual power or authority to bestow good things or conditions on someone else. Going a step further, some attach a similar power to various objects -- images of saints, images of Jesus, crosses, clothing, jewelry, Bibles, church buildings, "sacred" places or "sacred" days or times. They believe these material objects can somehow impart blessings. This is nothing more than religious superstition and mysticism dressed up in "Christian" clothing. We must understand that no object, place or human being is absolutely empowered with divine attributes or qualities – we do not have the power of life and death, we do not heal, we do not save, etc. That power belongs only to God. Thus, an absolute, unequivocal and specific promise from one human to another, even if the one giving the promise is a believer or clergy, is beyond our power or ability. On the other hand, it is definitely not wrong for a Christian to encourage another, and to tell another that we are praying for God’s blessing for them.
Another thought -- as long as we are in this flesh, a full understanding of some of God’s ways will remain beyond us, in eternity. By God’s grace, and through the work of the Holy Spirit, we can apprehend God’s mercies and love, but we cannot fully comprehend him. We cannot fully grasp his wisdom and his plan. For example, we pray for answers – and as you know, sometimes the answer is "yes," sometimes "no," and sometimes "not now." He always answers us – but at the time his answers don’t always make sense. But in "time" (perhaps on the other side of what we know as time – in eternity) God’s will always makes sense, it is always just, perfect and good.
When we ask God to bless others, he will – for that is his will for all humans. But what form does that blessing take? Will all humans define his will as a "blessing"? Probably not -- for most humans only understand blessings as health, wealth, power, bigger, more, better, etc. But many times those things are not blessings at all.
May God continue to bless you – and we both know that he will!
In Christ,
Greg Albrecht