God bless you

the thing about saying "God bless you" is that we tend to throw the phrase around a lot without really meaning it. sort of like when someone says "how are you doing?" and you reply "fine" regardless of how you really feel.

the phrase "God bless you" is a blessing that we bestow on others and we should mean it, especially if we need that blessing ourselves!

in the classic movie fiddler on the roof, the main character topol asks his rabbi: "rabbi, is there blessing for a tzar?" the tzar in russia at the time had treated them very badly and as a result the towns people were suffering and living in poverty.

the rabbi thought for a minute and said "yes, yes i do believe there is a blessing for a tzar, let me see...uh...may the Lord bless the tzar far and away from us!" and all the towns people rejoiced over the blessing.

i think about these lines from the movie quite a lot. i usually think about it when i am at church and the "God bless you's" are flying overhead. i wonder how many people would want God to bless me far and away from them? it's good to laugh at yourself. church culture is often times hilarious!

the truth is that words count beyond measure. watch your words. bless your friends, bless your family, bless your co-workers, but bless your enemies, bless those who curse you too, bless them all.

whew! that's a hard one! Lord Jesus, did you really mean that when you said it in the sermon on the mount? (matthew 5-7) because i'm not so sure that my enemies need to be blessed, not right now anyways.

gotta do it. sounds like i'm being weak blessing my enemies, but Jesus said...

what about God? how can i be a blessing to God? God? i bless you with my life. it's not much, but i am gonna bless you with my whole life, my whole heart, and all my strength. amen!

prayer
God bless my enemies. bless those who curse me and do things to me out of spite, God bless them.

question
who will you really bless today with your words?

read pslam 103:1-2
i will be a blessing to you o, Lord!

song in my head today
'blessed be your name in the land that is plentiful where your streams of abundance flow blessed be your name! ...every blessing you pour out i'll turn back to praise. when the darkness closes in Lord, still i will say blessed be the name of the Lord!' -matt redman