Notes
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Genesis 12:1-3 (ESV)
In January, many people make New Year’s Resolutions. The purpose of those resolutions is to start their year off right and hopefully, keep it going in a positive direction. We all have goals, and we all want to improve and make progress in our lives.
This year, let’s challenge ourselves to be available for God, even when it is uncomfortable. Faith can make us uncomfortable because it means believing with our heart what we cannot see with our eyes. From these three verses in Genesis 12, we learn three ways to bring joy to our lives as we live in faith and make ourselves available to God:
1) Keep Moving
God called Abraham to travel to another place that he promised to give him. Abraham did not know where that other place was. But he obeyed God and started traveling because he had faith.
Hebrews 8:11 (ERV)
Often we are more comfortable staying the same, but faith takes action. Faith isn’t just about where we are going, but about the presence of God in our lives in the process. God gives us spiritual gifts so that we can get moving and get involved with what He is doing - right now! It will always be scary to step out, but God changes us so that we can change the world.
2) Be a Blessing
It is easy to focus on the blessings we have received (or the ones we want to receive). But in Genesis 12:1-3, God didn’t only promise that Abram would be blessed, but also that he would be a blessing. When we come to Jesus, He transforms our lives not only for us but for others to be blessed through us. And when we focus on that, it keeps us humble, thankful, and future-minded.
3) Honor All
Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.
Romans 13:7
Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.
Ephesians 6:2-3
The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.
1 Timothy 5:17 (NIV)
Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.
Romans 12:10
Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.
1 Peter 2:17 (NASB)
Every human was created by God, and every human is deeply loved by Him. Despite any differences we have with another person, whether they are a follower of Jesus or not, we are called to honor. This is an expression of our heart; it displays what we really believe about God and the humans He created in His image. Giving honor does not mean condoning everything someone does, but it is a way to display God’s love to those who may not know Him.
Group Questions
- Did you make any New Year’s Resolutions?
- When have you seen faith in action?
- In what ways can you be a blessing to others this week?
- What might it look like to honor someone who disagrees with you on something?
Prayer
We are thankful to be on the journey you began with Abram. We are blessed to be a part of the story you are writing and we want to extend that blessing to others.