Why don’t I share blessings with others?
When I first began to regularly attend church in the early 1990s, there were a handful of people in that church who would regularly share the many blessings the Lord had done for them. I remember the scorn I often heard from others who made comments such as “don’t they know it’s a sin to brag…” or “Yeah, God’s really blessing them; look how they show off…” There’s no doubt in my mind that you’ve probably heard people in your church utter the same comments too. Just this morning I thought of a half-dozen things the Lord has done for me that I need to share with others. First of all, in spite of how unworthy I am, He loved me enough to save me from my sins. He has given me a good family and a place to live. He has given me a great church home, and a bunch of great Christ-centered friends. He has taken care of our financial needs, has encouraged me through others, the Holy Spirit, and through the reading of His word to take better care of my physical body. There are literally so many things the Lord has done for me, yet rarely do I lift His name in praise for them or share what He has done with others.
So why don’t I share them? For me, there are several reasons and if I am honest with myself, they are all pretty sad. For starters, there are times I am more worried about what other people think of me than I probably should. I also don’t want people to think I am bragging on my good fortunes and forget that the reason I should testify of the goodness of God is not for my glory or to draw attention to myself, but to place reverence on the Lord, where it belongs. It is also a form of thankfulness we demonstrate when we share what the Lord has done for us. Nothing will humble ourselves more than a sincere and heartfelt testimony of God’s provision for us when those around us know that on our own we could not have accomplished what we did on our own. I also have a tendency not to praise His name when I feel unworthy of how merciful the Lord has been. It is these times when I do need to share His works and grace the most.
So, I ask again, what is holding you back?
