The Power Of A Blessing

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Caution: I Am Opinionated

Have you ever wondered why Paul admonished the church in Rome to bless those who persecuted them? Let’s face it, that is not a natural reaction for anyone. It certainly hasn’t been my “go to” for much of my life.

To be honest, this is on my mind because of the political climate in our nation and especially in my home state of California. Of primary concern to me is that legislation is being proposed and in some cases passed that is in direct opposition to the values elucidated in the Bible and embraced by the church for 2,000 years. Much of the legislation being proposed actually feels like a direct attack on the Christian faith.

For many, the response has been offense leading to anger. Remember that movie where the tagline was “I’m mad as Hell and I’m not going to take it anymore?” That is a movement that seems to be growing in our nation. People are becoming more and more dissatisfied with our governing body and they are expressing their dissatisfaction in the most disparaging ways.

Hitler Did It

One of the first things that comes out of this climate is to demonize the people that we disagree with. We de-humanize our opponents, (whether they are Bible thumpers or politicians) making them “the enemy.” Hitler did that in order to wipe out a whole people group. He used generalization and fear of “other” to establish himself in power. It’s a dangerous thing to stop seeing people and begin seeing labels. There is only one real enemy and to walk in anger, offense and fear is to partner with him.

Another result is to react in the extreme opposite. I was talking to a friend from a denominational church a few weeks ago. He shared that there was trend in his denomination to remove women from leadership in response to the feminist agenda of the world. Not that any of the women within his denomination had such an agenda but that, in some weird kind of way, they were returning to the good old days. Folks, there have never been “good, old days” for everyone except pre-apple. (Sometimes “The good old days” is code for “when I was the top dog.”) To swing the pendulum from one extreme to another is to eventually marginalize someone.

This May Offend You

I’m going to be frank. I believe the Bible. I believe the Bible makes it clear that certain choices are sin choices, including but not limited to homosexuality. (I highlight this since homosexuality and gender confusion are at the heart of recent legislation.) I also believe that homosexuality was never God’s purpose for humanity. If it were, the creation story would have been different.

However, I also believe the Bible makes it clear that we are to love people. People, not labels. Once we de-humanize someone we can justify not loving them. Loving someone doesn’t mean you agree with them or endorse everything they do. It means you SEE the person apart from their race, gender, religion or sexual preference.

Although I believe the Bible, I rarely open a conversation with I think this or that is a sin. I don’t even start my conversations with the intent to evangelize. I’m just trying to get to know that person and as that happens, I find myself loving them (or not – I’m only human). To love someone is never a compromise to holiness.

Back To The Point

 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

Romans 12:14 (NIV)

Anyway, that’s why I think there are two reasons we are admonished to bless and not curse. First, the Hebrew people took their words very seriously. Paul didn’t mean a blessing like after you’ve sneezed. He meant a real blessing. The thing is you can’t really bless someone without considering who they are and what they need. I usually start by praying they experience an encounter with God.

Second, when we speak curses, we are partnering with the devil since he delights in the destruction of people. However, when we speak blessings, our partner is God. Hence the power of a blessing is greater than the power of a curse because it is tethered to the superior power. Paul was saying “fight back with a superior weapon.” That’s just smart!

Prayer Matters

Obviously, I am praying this week for our nation to depolarize. I am praying for real conversations to lead to real solutions. I’m praying for God revelations and God strategies to download to our governmental leaders and our spiritual leaders. And I’m praying for the church to teach and vote her values – holiness and love.

Thanks for reading my article. What are you praying for today? Leave a comment so I can partner with you in prayer or just let me know what you think of this article.

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