5 Ways Your Needs and Weaknesses Can Bless Others?

You have gifts that can bless others that you probably don’t even know you have.

Want to help others in some really simple ways? Ways that will bless you too? You have been given gifts that you may not even know you have. These are natural gifts that can bless a lot of other people easily. Let’s see of any of these resonate with you:

1. The Gift of needing exercise.

Exercise is essential to good health and quality of life. Everyone needs it. Some people are good at exercising on their own, but a lot of us need encouragement and an exercise partner or two. (Or at the very least, misery loves company). Exercising can be as simple as going for a walk, a bike ride, hitting the gym, joining a sports team, etc. Who could you invite to exercise with? Join a team with? It would bless both of you.

2. The Gift of hunger.

You need to eat to live. So does everyone else. Some people can’t remember the last time they ate a meal that was prepared by someone else. Some people eat alone often. Some people rarely get to eat homemade food. Sharing a meal together can be an opportunity to get to know someone new, to grow a relationship, or to help a friend by listening to what is going on in their life right now. Who is someone you could invite over for bbq? Out to lunch? Share some homemade bread?

3. The gift of imperfection.

I am not perfect. Maybe you are the same. There are some things I am good at but there is a lot more that I am definitely not good at. The good news is that there are lots of other people all around you who are good at those things. It may be that many of those people love to help others using their gifts but rarely get asked.

This one is often particularly challenging for our culture. We like self-sufficient systems. We are the monarchs of our own little empires. I have often heard people say, “I hate asking for help from others.” Those same people often love to be asked for help from others however. Can you see the skewed system that establishes. Everyone is ready to help others but no one is willing to receive it. How can we bless others when we are too proud to let them bless us? Is it time to bless someone by letting them bless you? Who is good at something you are not and might feel really blessed by being able to help you?

4. The gift of attention.

The greatest gift you can give someone is your attention. This is especially true in our current culture where there are dozens of things competing for your attention from minute to minute. How does it make you feel when you are in the presence of someone who is giving you their full attention? How often does that happen? Probably not as much as you might like. This is one of the most costly gifts you can give someone but also one of the most rewarding. Is there someone you could bless with your full attention? A phone call? A Skype date? A coffee together?

5. The gift of encouragement.

Encouragement is like wind to a sailor: it is free and you cannot get too far without it. Encouragement is exclusively uplifting – even if your love language is not “Words of Affirmation.” It is always good to get positive feedback. Is it possible that the art of encouragement is going out of style? Are we too busy or driven to drop a word of encouragement for someone ? When you give a word of encouragement be specific. It sends the message that you have already given your attention to the point of being personally impacted: A double blessing.

What simple gifts can you use today to bless others? Who might that person be?