Our Call to BLESS

How many times have we thought about “sharing our faith” only to get a pit in our stomach? What if there was a different way? What if, instead of trying to convince someone, they became curious about our faith because we asked meaningful questions and listened to their thoughts and perspectives? What if we could engage people in a winsome posture, modeling Jesus and sharing God’s abundant blessing with others? 

A research study on missionaries in Thailand found that those who focused on blessing others (Blessers) were more effective in sharing their faith than those who focused on converting others (Converters). After two years here’s what the research discovered:

• The Blessers presence resulted in tremendous amounts of social good. People valued the impact of these missionaries in their community. This was not found to be true with the Converters.
• Blessers saw 100 people come to faith where the Converters only saw 2 people become Christians. 

The bottom line of the study was that in order to reach and restore others for Jesus, we need to be Blessers. From this, a simple acronym was created to help apply these findings to our lives.

Begin with prayer. As you pray for those on your Guide Map, see if the Holy Spirit is leading you to serve or bless someone in a specific way. 

Listen actively. Asking questions and being present shows respect and builds trust. 84% of people are willing to have spiritual conversations if Christians are willing to be present and listen without an agenda. The first priority in any conversation is to ask questions, be present, and listen. 

Eat together. An invitation to spend time together over food is a great first step towards blessing others. Sharing a meal – or even a cup of coffee – is a great way to connect with others.

Serve others. Serving always takes time, energy, and maybe even some financial investment, but it goes a long way in building trust. You don’t need to create something from scratch.  Find a ministry already in the works and invite your neighbors to serve with you there.

Share your story. Everyone navigates ups and downs in their lives. Talk about how God’s grace and peace have helped you through difficult times. Share a short testimony about how God showed up in the midst of your storms.

As you look at the BLESS acronym, which of these elements comes easiest to you? Which is most challenging? What keeps you from being able to BLESS others in these ways?

Review your Guide Map again. Write down three ways you can be a blessing to someone you’ve been praying for. Commit to doing one of those activities in the next month.

Early Christians lived out their faith together, which convinced others to follow Jesus as well. Are there families in your life who could join you in sharing Jesus with others?