For several weeks I have been in a difficult situation dealing with a loved one. My mind was raging with negative thoughts that I continually tried to quell. Over and over I would have conversations in my mind about what was bugging me. I continually caught myself saying, “Yes, I know this already, I don’t need to go over it again.” By staying on top of it, giving it to God, and using my meditation time to clear my mind, I was able to get these thought under control, for the most part. Although I may have been winning the battle, it was certainly a constant struggle.
Then one day in my quiet time with God (I try to spend at least 30 minutes in scripture meditation each day), I felt the presence of God so strongly floating warmly down my body, and in a clear, loud, and inaudible voice He asked, “Is anything impossible for me?” I remember answering back, “No Lord, you are the God of the impossible.”
Then several minutes later God put this impression upon my heart. He said, whenever a negative thought surfaces because of this person, just “Bless Them.” After my meditation time with God I pulled out a sheet of paper. At the top of the paper I drew my likeness of Jesus holding a large bucket. Under the bucket I drew my likeness of my loved one. The bucket represented God’s Blessings. On the paper, I imagined God’s Blessings being poured out over this person. Surrounding this person I wrote the blessings I wanted God to pour in their heart. For example, I had the words, “Love,” “Kindness,” ” Wisdom,” “Appreciation,” “Good Communication Skills,” “Sensitivity,” “Trust,” “Healing,” “Freedom,” “Health,” “Understanding,” and “Gratitude.”
Then throughout the day, each time I began to think about this person, before I let my mind wonder into the mental abyss of complaining and negativity, I would mental say, “God Bless Them,” with the intention that with each blessing, God would be pouring the blessings (I wrote on the paper) into their life.
I was amazed at how much better I felt and how steady my mind became. Yes at times I wanted to become agitated but I just kept “Blessed Them,” instead. Sometimes I chuckled in my mind as I said it. It was like I had a secret conspiracy with God. Little did they know that were getting hit with blessings “all day long.” I was truly turning the whole situation over to God. I was asking God to intervene in their life and bless them with the attributes, skills, and desires that would heal their life and bring more joy and harmony to mine.
It wasn’t until several days later that a certain scripture popped in my head. We all know it so well. “Bless Those That Curse You and Despitefully Use You. Bless and Curse Not.”
The text reads from Matthew 5:44:
But I say to you, Love your enemies (anyone who is opposing you), BLESS them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which spitefully use you, and persecute you.
Unbeknown to me at the time, that’s exactly what I was doing. I was blessing the opposition instead of allowing my mind to think all types of negativity and evil against them. Not only was it liberating for me, I believe it was liberating for them as well because I wasn’t holding them (or myself) hostage with my thoughts. I was giving God both opportunity and power to bring about positive change, in me and them. For as we know, God’s word can’t return void and he said his blessings will overtake us.
It’s been several days now and I’m still blessing them and I sure feel a whole lot better. If you have a difficult person in your life that you find yourself spending way to much mental energy on, try blessing them instead. Create your list of blessings you want God to bestow upon them. You may want God to bless them with patience, responsibility, honesty, fairness, appreciation, generosity and more. Bless them and turn them and their difficult attitude over to God. I’m so glad I did. Now they are God’s problem and not mine.
After about 3 days of constant “blessing” sometimes with humor other times with annoyance, I felt a break. It was like the break of a fever, suddenly everything seemed better and lighter and the mental record in my head stopping playing. Time will tell the significance of these “blessings” but by faith I believe they are having a greater impact than I could ever imagine. I encourage you to try it with your boss, defiant child, spouse or anyone else you are allowing to steal your peace and joy in the Lord.
