Walking with the Wise #138: The Benefit of Blessings

“From the fruit of his mouth a man eats what is good,

but the desire of the treacherous is for violence.”
—Proverbs 13:2

Today’s proverb explains the benefit of living for God. If we live for God, then we will do what He says, which means that we give every single facet of our being to Him—the words of our mouth included. Jesus doesn’t want to just be the Lord of our life on Sunday morning, but every day of the week and every moment of the day. This doesn’t mean that we cannot have fun, enjoy watching a television show, having a good time with friends, or making love with one’s spouse. It means knowing that God is the one who has given it to us. He is the creator and we are enjoying His creation, knowing that all we’ve been given is for our satisfaction and benefit. By enjoying what He has given, and acknowledging that the gift is from the Giver, we delight in God and He receives glory through our satisfaction. Or, as John Piper has so frequently said, “God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him.”
Living for Christ is beneficial not only in this life, but in the one to come. As Paul said,

“…for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come”—1 Timothy 4:8.

God desires us to live for Him and as we do, we will find the good we’ve done coming back to us—reaping what we’re sowing. By living for Christ, and letting Christ be the Lord of our lips, we will find ourselves not seeking to hurt or tear down others, but to bless and benefit others as we are “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). The fruit of our loving others and speaking that which is good, will come back to benefit us. Who among us has not received praise or protection from someone and not wanted to do something good in return for the good done to us? We want to bless those who bless us. And when we bless others, we will find ourselves being blessed in return. Not so for those who are wicked; they do not seek the good of others, nor do they seek God. They are selfish and will use their words to tear down in order to bring themselves up. The servant of God must make every effort to reject such thoughts and make every effort to walk in the newness of life afforded by Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.

Is Jesus the Lord of your lips? Are you seeking to belittle or bless? Do you want to help or harm? Are you selfish or selfless? Live for God, honor Him with your words and works, and then be ready to experience the blessing that comes from it, reaping a harvest of blessing from those you have blessed. Amen.