There is a “spiritual secret” shared with us through the scriptures that there is a blessing found through blessing others. Jesus himself told us that “it’s more blessed to give than to recieve” (Acts 20:35). This is hard for the natural man to really understand, but it’s part of the spirit-filled experience of one who ministers to others.
Prov 11:25 says the liberal soul is made fat and he that waters is watered himself. And again, as Jesus had ministered to the woman at the well and his disciples brought bread for physical food, he said to them “I have meat that you know not of” (Jn 4:32). That spiritual food was doing the will of the father in ministering to people, the woman at the well and The Samaritans.
After Jesus washed the feet of the disciples he said once more “blessed are you if you know this and do this” (Jn 13:17). But it’s not mere imitation (WWJD), or mechanical obedience or serving through duty that is spoken of here. If it’s a motivation of guilt or merit or duty, then you can miss the blessing. The same labor can be a burden for one and a blessing for another. It has to be that I’m serving in (agape) love and nothing else. So surely the key is not what we do, but why we do it. We must ensure that we first receive a ministry before we try and have one. We must let Jesus wash our feet before we wash the feet of others.
You must be loved, graced-out, forgiven and filled and then “because of the abundance of all things you serve with Joy” Deut 28:47. Let us be vessels first filled to the brim, then poured out, only to be filled once more.
