At the end of a service the preacher usually blesses the congregation. The one at the end of 2 Corinthians 13:13 is generally used: … and the God of love and peace will be with you for sure. Greet one another with a holy embrace.

It is a wish that God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit will do their part in each person who receives the blessing. The preacher doesn’t just say it, but wishes to convey his or her hope and trust and belief that it will become a reality in each person’s life.

Therefore, when you bless someone, it must be in the faith that it will come true. Like Isaac: ²⁰By an act of faith, Isaac reached into the future as he blessed Jacob and Esau.

Isaac saw God moving in his life. He experienced God. He knew God. He knew God’s ways and what he was able to do. He believed that God would help his sons in the same way as God had helped him. And with that confidence he blessed them. He prayed for God’s hand over them in the future, as it were.

And he didn’t do it because it was tradition to do so, but because he had faith in God and trusted that God would fulfil His part of the promise and thereby make it come true in their lives.

That is why we should bless our loved ones more often. Because we don’t do it. We rather say the opposite. If someone at work or at school or wherever offends us, we are quick to say something bad over them: “Just go away!” or “I hope you fall down the stairs!”.

If we look at what we’re saying here, it seems as if we want something bad to happen to them. We’re not sowing good seeds in the world by saying things like that. Even less is it a good reflection of the true colours of a child of God.

We must learn to rather wish people well, adding a good shot of trust and faith that it will come true.

I would like to bless you so that you can be blessed to make a difference in the world. I will use this beautiful Franciscan blessing:

“May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and turn their pain to joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.”

And if you believe and trust that it will come true in your life, the world will look so much different.

Scripture
Hebrews 11:20

Reflection
What do your words look like?
What do you say?
Who can you bless with God’s blessing?

Prayer
Father, set a guard over my mouth so that I won’t do damage with my words. Please fill my heart with Your love so that my mouth will overflow with love. In Jesus’ Name, amen.