Thanksgiving is the season of gratitude. It’s a time to count our blessings and take stock of all the good in our lives. Another way we can give thanks is by blessing others, expressing kindness, generosity, and courage.
Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, writes:
Those ready for the blessing you impart will give thanks.
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 570
We all have our own unique way to bless others. We can express God’s love through compassion, forgiveness, and other simple acts that enrich the lives of those around us.
How can we be a blessing to others?
The more we understand our relationship with God, the more we see how we can bless others. God is loving, forgiving, and loyal. As God’s children, we naturally reflect those same qualities.
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
II Corinthians 9:8
God’s grace is always available, giving us the strength and inspiration to do good. As we recognize God’s loving care, we can overcome obstacles and find ways to bless others.
What are some ways to bless others?
God’s goodness is unlimited, and we can express that goodness in ways that meet the needs of others. We can show empathy, compassion, and kindness. This could look like listening to a friend who had a tough day and offering a word of inspiration. Or stepping forward to help someone facing a difficult situation.
Prayer is another way we can bless others. As we recognize God’s unlimited love and care for everyone, we can find inspiration to meet the needs around us. Blessing others doesn’t require money or special skills. Everyone has what they need to bless in any situation.
How does blessing others bring us joy?
The Bible story of Elijah and the widow shows how blessing others can enrich our own lives. During a time of famine, a starving widow was preparing to cook the last of her food for her and her son. The prophet Elijah finds her and, surprisingly, asks her to cook a meal for him. The widow humbly does so. As she follows Elijah’s guidance, her supply of flour and oil continues to sustain her and her son. (I Kings 17:8–16)
The widow’s willingness to share, even when she had very little, showed her trust in God’s care. As she gave, she discovered that she was not deprived of what she needed. Her experience reminds us that God’s goodness is unlimited and that blessing others doesn’t diminish the good in our own lives. Instead, we find more reasons to be grateful.
Whatever blesses one blesses all…
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 206
Love blesses all
God’s love is unlimited, embracing everyone. This Thanksgiving, we can celebrate that love and the many ways it blesses our lives and the lives of others.
Celebrate Thanksgiving with gratitude and love
Explore the special Thanksgiving Bible Lesson, filled with ideas about gratitude, God’s goodness, and the blessings we can share. You can also find a Christian Science Thanksgiving service near you.
