Blessing the Father’s Child
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
~Romans 12:14 NIV
Many of us are working diligently to learn to be blessers—those who purposefully bless and are a blessing to those the Lord places around us.
As the body of Christ, we are endowed with the authority to speak blessing and to bless. The Father strategically positions us to be agents of grace and mercy. We are ministers of comfort and bringers of peace and hope as we share the hope of Christ with the hurting.
We can be so wonderful at blessing others, but at the same time, say the cruelest, demeaning, and heartless things to the Father’s child. And we are that child.
We tell ourselves we are stupid, ugly, or lazy and that we will never amount to anything. We curse ourselves, saying our plans will fail, we have no willpower, we are useless, we were a mistake, we will always be poor, or we will never get well.
None would like it if we said those things to their child or best friend. Somehow, however, we think it is acceptable to say those things about ourselves. We forget we are the Father’s child. He doesn’t like it when anyone bullies His beloved child, even if the bully is the child himself.
God wants us to think about ourselves the way He thinks about us and say healthy things to ourselves when bullying words come to mind. So, let’s speak the blessing of God’s Word aloud over our lives instead of curses. Then, we will see how blessings can make a dramatic change for the better.
When struggling with controlling anger:
“I am patient and wise; I am not like those who are hot-tempered and display their foolishness” (Proverbs 14:29).
When fighting anxiety and worry:
“I am not anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, I present my requests to God” (Philippians 4:6-7).
When tempted to compromise God’s best:
“I am one of the blessed who keeps God’s statutes, and I seek him with all my heart—I do no wrong, but follow his ways” (Psalms 119:2-3).
When lacking confidence:
“I am strong and courageous. I am not afraid or discouraged, for the Lord my God will be with me wherever I go” (Joshua 1:9).
When depressed:
“The eyes of the Lord are on me, and his ears are attentive to my cry; when I cry out, the Lord hears me; he delivers me from all my troubles” (Psalms 34:15, 17).
When tempted to doubt:
“I live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).
When struggling against fear:
“For the Spirit God gave me does not make me timid, but gives me power, love, and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7).
When guilty and in need of forgiveness:
“The Lord my God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from me if I return to him” (2 Chronicles 30:9).
When feeling unloved:
“I love Him because He loved me first” (1 John 4:19).
Which of the above verses resonates in your heart the most and why?
Father God, forgive me for speaking harshly to Your child. Teach me to be kind to myself, extend grace, and speak blessings over my life instead of curses. In the reading of Your Word, help me to realize the precious things You say about Your children are being said about me as well. Help me to speak the beautiful truth about the value, purpose, and future You have given me. Thank You that I am a new creation in Christ Jesus. The old person I was has passed away. You have made me brand new. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Genre: Non-fiction
Copyright 2020: Blessing the Father’s Child: Julie Souza Bradley Lilly: All Rights Reserved
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