Day 62 - Living for the Blessing

On Sunday Pastor Lee made a statement that I thought was very moving. He said, “If you live for your blessing you will miss it. If you live to bless, the blessings will be abundant,” (Pastor Lee). This hit me in the heart.
 
A statement like this is talking about a truth death to self
 
“And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Luke 9:23
 
"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Galatians 2:20
 
This idea of a death to self is to say that I allow my fleshly self-fulfilling natural state to expire as I allow the Holy Spirit to take the real estate that is my spirit. I begin to think how Christ does instead of how I would. Christ’s entire life was literally for everyone, but Himself.
 
If I live chasing my own benefits there may be some good times, but when life stinks there will be nothing that points to hope. There would be no hope because at that point you have designed your life to be about you and no one else. The ideas of let’s do what is best for everyone is not even a thought. This is a lonely life with few victories along the way.
 
If I live for everyone else trying to make their life better, my life will have an entirely new tint to it. As the people I have come to love find blessings that is a blessing to my soul even if in my personal life I am in a valley. Life becomes much more fulfilling if I live for everyone else. I believe this is what Pastor Lee had in mind when he said, “If you live for your blessing you will miss it. If you live to bless, the blessing will be abundant.”