Think Before You Bless

Lectio Divina out loud: Erika Dix finds the words when her heart is seeking to bless.

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8, NIV)

When I usually think about a blessing, it is usually something I ask for. It can be for myself or for another person. It can even be for someone or something that is not even personal to me, such as when I get asked to pray for a special blessing. The blessing tends to feel as though it is outside of myself, and not something within me to give.

In my daily morning prayer, I ask God to bless my work, and I offer up my work for the day for others. As I was praying this morning, I thought about how I could also bless with my work, and what would that look like. Work is a blessing? What I do and my actions are a blessing? Yes! Every smile, word, touch, thought, and prayer is a blessing.

This made sense to me, since I already knew I could give a blessing that way, but how do I add it to my work? If I take a moment and think before each time I do some work, I can put more of my heart into my actions. I can put more of my heart into an email, phone call, or design. I can put more heart into my interactions with my kids, husband, co-workers and friends. I can even put more heart into doing dishes and cleaning floors, and maybe it will feel less like a chore (maybe?).

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This thought gives more meaning to the phrase, “Think before you act.” We could even rephrase it to “Think before you bless.” We can take it to heart that any action we make can bless someone, and that it is within us to give a blessing to another. In the verse above from the Second Letter to the Corinthians, God is already giving us all we need, and through that abundance, our work is made good. He is asking us to work, and also asking us to do it with our hearts, not just to get it done.

It is great to think that when I am picking up for my family (for the hundredth time), and cooking and calling and emailing and hugging and driving and whatever my work shapes up for the day, I am doing it with a blessing. I am giving from within me and also with God’s abundant blessing.

Click to tweet:
God is asking us to work, and also asking us to do it with our hearts, not just to get it done. #CatholicMom

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank you for abundantly blessing me with all I need. I pray that I might add that extra blessing to the work I do, so I can pass it along and make my work good.

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