The Father's Blessing

Last week I was teaching out of Matthew 3 where Jesus was baptized and when He came up out of the water He recieved His father's blessing. The "blessing" was a big, verbal phrase that basically said, "Son, I'm proud of you."

As I thought about that phrase I realized all the times my father had told me he was proud of me. I had recieved my father's blessing at many point in my life. His blessing has helped make me the man I am today. In effect, my father's blessing has also affected my children. They have recieved the second generation blessing through me.

I have talked with a lot of people who did not recieve their father's blessing, for a variety of reasons, and they always seems to have a missing element in their life. After coming to Christ, that Father Blessing can begin to come into their life, if they will let the Spirit communicate to their heart.

I also realized that I needed to continue to pass on to my children the Father Blessing to my children. I need to remind my son how proud I am of him and what a good worker he is. I need to tell him that I love to watch him lead worship and grow in his marriage.

I need to remind my daughters what a joy it is to see them grow in Christ and grow as wives and mothers. I need to remind them to pass on the blessing to their children as well.

Each January I write a personal letter that I attach to my will. It is a letter to my wife, my children, grandchildren and my daughter-in-law and my two son-in-laws and most of the letter is a blessing. I want the last words they read from me to be words of esteem, love and a heartfelt blessing.

Maybe you are reading this and you feel like you could use a blessing. I know I feel that way sometimes. The Bible teaches us that we reap what we sow, so if you are in need of a blessing in your life, I suggest you bless someone else. Blessing other people can be a real blessing.