Like you and me
Series: Like you and me | Bible text: Genesis 12:1–9
«I will bless you and you shall be a blessing» (according to Genesis 12:2). Abraham, the father of many nations, received this promise from God. God demanded an incredible departure from him: He was to leave his homeland, where he had already been rooted for 75 years. As a man blessed by God, he was to become a blessing for many other people and nations. In the life of Abraham and many other people we discover a common thread: God addresses people, blesses them and makes them a blessing for others.
Like you and me – that is the theme for 2020. This year we will take a closer look at various people from the Bible and gain important insights for our personal lives. Abraham from the Old Testament is an example for this year. Therefore, the Bible verse we will refer to comes from his story. The Lord promised him: «I will bless you and you shall be a blessing» (cf. Genesis 12:2). How can you and I be blessed by God and how can we be a blessing to others? This is the secret we want to uncover this year.
God speaks
As if out of nowhere, the Lord speaks to Abraham, who was then still called Abram: «Leave your homeland, your relatives and your father’s family and go to the land I will show you! From you a great nation will descend. […]»(Genesis 12:1f NL). Just imagine that: Abraham is no longer a youngster, but has a proud 75 years under his belt. He is at an age when one would rather retire than start over again. Of all people, it is this man who is set in his ways that God demands a radical departure, combined with the promise that he will have offspring. Just think: Sarai, his wife, was already old.
This is very important: no matter how old you are, God still has plans for you! It is often the case that from the age of 50 onwards, people retreat into the second row, treat themselves to a bit of peace and quiet and still invest the maximum in old-age provision. That is clearly too little. Moreover, this story teaches us that God certainly wants to take us out of our comfort zone. When I was 20 years old, God also challenged me to leave my home and start something new. For eight years I steadfastly resisted because I didn’t want to give up my familiar surroundings with all my social contacts. I remember like it was yesterday when Silvia and I left after all. As a young married couple, we left Romanshorn for Basel knowing that we would never return. I had a lump in my throat and knew that now we only had each other and God. There is no plan B. Either God keeps his promises or we are left with nothing. It was a very challenging moment that sunk in. Abraham had to take this step as a senior.
God loves to reach out to people and draw them out of their comfort zone. Where is he doing this with you? Should you change a habit that has been ingrained for years? Do you need to make a change in your marriage or in any other relationship? Is God challenging you to take on a new role at school or at work? Should you take on a new task and serve others? Would it be your turn to give generously of your money to something good? Or is it about working on a specific character trait that keeps popping up? One of my mottoes in life is: «Always do something you are afraid of. God wants to lead you deeper into your vocation. This means that he wants to enlarge your territory. Be courageous and strong when God speaks to you!
Abraham hears and obeys
After the blessing it says: «Abram set out as the Lord had commanded him. And Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran. On the way to Canaan he took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot and everything they owned, together with their cattle and their slaves and female slaves they had acquired in Haran. This is how they finally reached Canaan» (Genesis 12:4f NL). Unagitated, unopposed, without lamentation, Abram goes off and obeys God. What a role model. Not for nothing is he called a «friend of God».
Stephen retells this story at his stoning. It is interesting that there is an insertion: «Then Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran until his father died. Then God brought him here to the land where you live today.» (Acts 7:4 NL). Obviously there was a stopover in Haran on his way. There he stayed until the death of his father. The natural bonds prevented the heart of Abram from fully responding to the call of God. Although it had been called to Canaan, he still hesitated in Haran until that bond was broken by death. Only then did he set out for the place where the «God of glory» had called him. That’s what I love about the Bible: it tells us not only the successes of personalities like Abram, but also their hesitations and weaknesses. At the same time, it shows us a God who is patient and understands Abram. He does not take back the calling on Abram, because he is faithful. God is willing to do an extra round with you too. But, he perseveres when he has a plan with you. Yes, God has a plan for you too!
Let us always take time to listen to God! He talks. And then there is the question of obedience. Are we ready to take steps on the water? If we do not respond to God’s speaking, something bad happens: our ears become hard of hearing (cf. Isaiah 6:10). Then we have the impression that God is not speaking to us at all. The point is to do what he has been saying for a long time.
Recently I saw a TV programme called «Karma Challenge». In the programme, people met in a self-help group and revealed their «sins» such as flying a lot, producing waste, shopping online. Each of them was challenged to change their lifestyle and dare to try something new. One of the participants was a man who described himself as a hedonist. A hedonist enjoys life, wants to have fun, does things spontaneously, is always looking for variety and entertainment. At the same time, he tries to minimise pain and suffering. His challenge was about giving something back to society. He did this in the form of a blood donation, a free concert and volunteering. In the process, he experienced how this fulfilled him and gave him meaning.
As I watched, I wondered if the hedonistic lifestyle had not also found its way into Christians. Isn’t one of the most important questions we ask ourselves, «Is it right for me?» If this is the case, our theme for the year is a stark contrast. Let us also see it as a challenge to let God draw us out of our comfort zone and serve others, even if it costs us something. If Abraham had been a hedonist, he would probably have stayed in his homeland and God would have had to look for another progenitor for the Jewish people. The whole plan of salvation would have had to be revised.
Abraham is blessed and becomes a blessing
God did not make it easy for Abraham. He sent him away from home in his old age, Abraham was even supposed to believe that he would still have a child in his old age, even the most difficult temptation that God can put a person through – to sacrifice his own child – God did not spare Abraham. With this unique story, Abraham became the bearer of God’s blessing. It is not the blessing that stands at the beginning, but God’s command to the old Abraham to set out for a land that he will show him. If we live in God’s calling for us, we will experience his blessing. God’s blessing, unlike his love, is not available to all people. God binds blessing to our obedience (cf. Deut. 28).
«I will bless you and you shall be known throughout the world. I will make you a blessing to others»(Genesis 12:2 NL). God blessed Abraham. Translated from the ancient languages (Hebrew, Greek and Latin), means bless «Speak good things». Peter says: «Do not repay evil with evil. Do not become angry when people speak unkindly of you, but wish them well and bless them.»(1 Peter 3:9 NL). This means that we should counter unkind and hostile words with good words. Speak God’s thoughts over that person and do not respond to his insults or abuse. Proclaim what God says about the person. We cannot always pray out loud for people or say something to them, but we can always pronounce God’s blessing over them. If we want to bless other people, we cannot stop with ourselves, but have to deal with them.
Our multimedia team has symbolised blessing in the clip with water and light – both are basic necessities for human life. Blessing in Abraham means the promise of protection and a successful life, protection from hardship, hunger and cold, fertile land, sun and rain in his time. The blessing places our lives under the preserving umbrella of God’s salvation. It is an event in which a person receives a share in God’s power and grace. Abraham became the progenitor of the Jewish people and thus also of Jesus.
People can not only promise blessings to each other, they can also directly become blessings to others. That would be the icing on the cake of blessing. God sends people out so that his grace and benefits can be experienced on earth. We are not only to bless, but to be a blessing! We are not only to pass on water and light, but to be water and light for other people ourselves. Not only to feed, but to be a nourisher. Jesus says that when we are thirsty we may come to him and drink. As a result, according to Jesus, the following will happen: «He who believes in me, from within him will flow rivers of living water […].»(John 7:38 NL). The believer thus becomes a well of blessing for others. The condition for this is that God has taken up residence in our hearts through the Holy Spirit.
Abraham is a blessing! It shows us exemplarily what faith means. In the short passage of Genesis 12:1–9 it says twice that Abraham built an altar to God. These were signs of encounters with God. Obviously, Abraham’s daily life was interspersed with such encounters. Paul presents this man to us as a model of faith: «According to his origin, Abraham was the progenitor of our Jewish people. By what was he saved? Did God accept him because of his good deeds? If so, he would have reason to be proud. But from God’s point of view, Abraham had no reason to be proud. For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God; and God declared him righteous because of his faith» (Romans 4:1–3 NL). It is not good deeds that save us, but faith in Jesus Christ, which should flow naturally into our daily lives. Abraham trusted in this God against all odds and experiences. That is why God declared him righteous. This unconditional trust is what also makes us a blessing to others.
God speaks to us. He calls us. If we respond and courageously dare to do something, he blesses us and makes us a blessing for our fellow human beings. This and nothing less is the dimension of our new annual theme!
Possible questions for the small groups
Read Bible text: Genesis 12:1–9; Romans 4:1–3
- In what way is Abraham a role model for you?
- Listen – do – be blessed and be a blessing – that is the programme in life with God. What is the most difficult point for you?
- Listening: Do you hear God’s voice? What might be a step that God is challenging you to take? (Often it is things in life that create «friction»).
- Do: Where do «hedonistic tendencies» show up in your life that prevent you from tackling things?
- Be a blessing: Where are you challenged to bless instead of «swearing»? Where do you see opportunities in your environment to be more of a blessing?
