God does not set us here first of all to be blessed, but to be a blessing. Our greatest test is not how much we have received, but how much we have given.— Watchman Nee
The purpose of God’s blessing is not to increase my standard of living, but to increase my standard of giving.— A.W. Tozer
In our previous chapter, we explored how curses entered through disobedience, yet through Christ's redemptive work, we have been brought back into a place of divine blessing. But the story doesn't stop there. If the sole purpose of Jesus' sacrifice was for us to enjoy personal blessing, then the cross is reduced to a monument of self-interest. That is far from the gospel. We are called to mirror the life of Christ and become a blessing to others.
Many believers understand the concept of being blessed, but fewer understand what it means to be a blessing. It’s easy to receive. But the question is, what about giving? What about becoming a source of life, encouragement, hope, and change to others? Lives are hanging in the balance, waiting for people who understand that the blessing of Christ wasn’t meant to be hoarded but shared.
Being a blessing goes beyond prosperity. Prosperity is a byproduct of a life that is already aligned with God. That’s why the Bible says, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Yet many don’t strive to give. They’re waiting for their own cup to overflow before they pour out, not realising that it is in pouring out that God causes the overflow.
Can you prosper in a land where the odds are stacked against you by race, background, language, or social status? Can you be a blessing in a place that seems to reject you? The promise to Abraham was that his descendants would possess the land. But what does that look like? Is it just physical? Spiritual? Institutional?
Too often, our goal is just to get blessed. We want to get the job, the house, the visa, the comfort. But how many of us stop to ask, “Lord, how can I be a blessing to this land?” If you’re not willing to share from the little you have now, it won’t get easier when you have more.
When Israel was taken into exile, God told them something profound:
That is the standard. Being a blessing was part of Abraham’s calling: “I will bless you… and you shall be a blessing [a source of great good to others].” (Genesis 12:2, AMP)
Too many of us want to receive that blessing but forget the second part. Being a blessing means becoming a solution. If you buy someone food, you’ve addressed hunger. If you pay a child’s school fees, you’ve opened a door to destiny. That’s what Nehemiah did when he rebuilt the walls. That’s what Esther did when she risked her life for her people. That’s what Joseph did when he saved Egypt. That’s what Jesus did when He became the solution for a dying world.
Interestingly, with the exception of Jesus, most of these people never performed miracles. No record of raising the dead or healing the sick. Yet their impact cannot be denied. Why? They were a blessing.
Let’s connect this to Ruth. The Moabites were cursed, not only because of their incestuous origin (Genesis 19:30–38) but also because they opposed Israel and tried to curse what God had blessed (Numbers 22–25, Deuteronomy 23:3–6). They were excluded from the assembly of the Lord up to ten generations.
Naomi’s story begins with famine and loss. Her family left Bethlehem and entered Moab, a cursed land. Her husband and sons died there. She returns to Israel with Ruth, a Moabite, someone who, by law, was not even supposed to be among the covenant people.
But Ruth made a different choice: “Your people will be my people, and your God, my God… where you die, I will die” (Ruth 1:16–17). In that moment, she broke ties with her past and aligned herself with the covenant God of Israel. She committed herself to Naomi’s wellbeing, venturing into fields of strangers to glean grains. And what followed? Grace. Favour. Redemption.
Boaz, the kinsman redeemer, welcomed her, blessed her, and prophesied over her: “May the Lord repay you for your kindness… under whose wings you have come to take refuge” (Ruth 2:12).
And indeed, Ruth received a full reward. She married Boaz, gave birth to Obed, the grandfather of David, and became part of the lineage of Jesus. From cursed to chosen. From outsider to legacy. That’s what the blood does. It doesn’t just redeem you; it makes you a blessing.
If Galatians 3:14 is true, “The blessing of Abraham has come to the Gentiles through Christ…”, then why do we stop at receiving it? Why not walk in it? Why not become it?
To be a blessing means to be a source of good, a solution, an agent of change. Not just in church, but in culture. In the nation. In your vicinity. It means asking daily: “Lord, how can I be a blessing today?”
No matter your background, your failures, or the curses that may have marked your past. Through the blood of Jesus, you are not just redeemed. You are positioned. You are commissioned. Like Ruth, you are called to be a blessing to your world.