On Blessing Others.

And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them,
and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it,
he was indignant and said to them,
“Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.  
Truly, I say to you,
whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.
(Mark 10:13-17)

It seems to me that there are three components to blessing people.

First, blessing is seeing the individual. So often as we go through life we feel ourselves unnoticed. We can’t do much about that, but we can notice others. When the coach notices the player, the teacher the student, the customer notices the girl at the cash-register and the father notices the son, then a blessing is imparted. In the example above, the disciples did not see the children as anything but a hindrance. Jesus saw them as individuals of value. When you go to a party you’ll see three classes of people. First, those who are pleased to see you. These are those that bless you with a warm welcome. They say, one way or other, ‘I am pleased you’re here. You’re like sunshine, you’re welcome here.’ Second, there are those that are not pleased to see you. They effectively curse you by their body language. Third, there are those (and this is probably most people at the party) who you don’t see at all. They are just part of the crowd. How I see people indicates whether I will bless them, or curse them.

Second, blessing is speaking well of someone. You have to speak words of life over a man to bless him. Jesus does this in Matthew 16 when talking to Peter. “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.  And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
God does this at Jesus’ baptism. “This is my son, in whom I delight.”

Third, blessing is giving something of your life away so that the other person has more life. You need to share or give something of your life away to that person. When the customer gives a tip to the waiter, or you give a spontaneous gift, or you make some edifying remark, or you praise the individual publicly, then you are blessing someone. Parents are often doing this for their children. Teachers do it for their students. Jesus did it for us.

Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things. (Genesis 24:1)

How had the Lord blessed Abraham? I put it to you that He saw him, spoke words of life over him, and gave his life and abundance to him.

Perhaps the greatest blessing I gave someone this year took place in Appleby in February. I’ve mentioned it before, but you can read it again here.

God ever bless you reader. You could have done anything else, but you took the time to read this post. Thank you so much. May the Lord bless you abundantly today.

Earth has no Sorrow that Heaven can’t heal…

Sometimes you discover a book or a poem or something which blesses you, and you want to share what you have found with others. Today's blog is on that theme. Throughout 2025 I have been particularly taken by the music of Matt Maher, and a couple of weeks ago I splashed out and downloaded an album of his. All of the songs are great, but this one - Come As You Are - is quite possibly my favourite. The lyrics are below, and a link to a Youtube version at the very bottom. In Spanish they say ‘no hay mal que no dure’, which roughly translates to ‘there’s no wound that does not heal’, or as we say in English, ‘nothing bad lasts forever.’ 

But I like the way Matt Maher has written it:
Earth has no Sorrow that Heaven can’t heal.

Come out of sadness
From wherever you've been
Come broken hearted
Let rescue begin
Come find your mercy
Oh sinner come kneel
Earth has no sorrow
That heaven can't heal
Earth has no sorrow
That heaven can't heal

So lay down your burdens
Lay down your shame
All who are broken
Lift up your face
Oh wanderer come home
You're not too far
So lay down your hurt
Lay down your heart
Come as you are

There's hope for the hopeless
And all those who've strayed
Come sit at the table
Come taste the grace
There's rest for the weary
Rest that endures
Earth has no sorrow
That heaven can't cure

So lay down your burdens
Lay down your shame
All who are broken
Lift up your face
Oh wanderer come home
You're not too far
So lay down your hurt
Lay down your heart
Come as you are
Come as you are
Fall in his arms
Come as you are

There's joy for the morning
Oh sinner be still
Earth has no sorrow
That heaven can't heal
Earth has no sorrow
That heaven can't heal

So lay down your burdens
Lay down your shame
All who are broken
Lift up your face
Oh wanderer come home
You're not too far
So lay down your hurt
Lay down your heart
Come as you are
Come as you are
Come as you are

You can listen to “Come As You Are” here:

A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, 

because her hour is come: 

but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, 

for joy that a man is born into the world. 

And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, 

and your heart shall rejoice, 

and your joy no man taketh from you.

God ever bless you.

Essential, Mature, and Radical Discipleship (The Productive Years)

My wife and I watched a conversation between two Christians. The older man (seventy-something) was teaching the younger one (who was forty-something) how to glorify Jesus as we go through life. He argued persuasively that discipleship has three components:

Aged 1 to 30:        Essential discipleship - Getting your life together (where we answer the big questions like, who am I? Why am I here? Whom will I marry?) These are our formative years.

Aged 30 - 80+:     Mature discipleship - Giving your life away. These are our productive years in which we bless and serve others. Our family, workplace, church and community. We feel stretched, but these are the years in which we stop seeking to be the one to be listened to, and instead become the listener. Instead of seeking a blessing, we are looking to give them.

Aged 80+:        Radical discipleship. Giving your death away. These are our waning and dying years. The last stage should be characterised by blessing people in my death, that I leave peace behind, a good memory and a good legacy. - “My peace I leave with you” says Jesus, as he heads to his death.

I found this conversation so valuable that I recommend it to you. You can watch it here:

Memoir of a Brother

 'Bad company ruins good morals.' So wrote the Apostle Paul to Christians in Corinth. It is certainly true, but so too it might be said that, 'Good company improves good morals.'

It has been one of the greatest blessings I've received over the last twenty years to become acquainted with two men whom I look forward to meeting at the resurrection of the dead. It was Thomas Hughes' writings (specifically Tom Brown’s Schooldays) that introduced me to Thomas Arnold's sermons, lectures and correspondence. I've learnt much about what it means to be a Christian from these two men. It is certainly the case that although dead, by their faith, they still speak.

Without a doubt one of the best fivers I ever spent was on a book by Thomas Hughes called Memoir of a Brother. It is a record of George Hughes, Tom's older brother, who fell asleep in death unexpectedly while still a fairly young man. This is how the dedication reads:

'TO MY NEPHEWS AND SONS.

My dear boys,
It has pleased God to take to Himself the head of the family of which you are members. Most of you are too young to enter into the full meaning of those words "family" and "membership," but you all remember with sore hearts, and the deepest feeling of love and reverence, the gentle, strong, brave man, whom you used to call father or uncle; and who had that wonderful delight in, and attraction for, young folk, which most very gentle and brave men have. You are conscious, I know, that a great cold chasm has suddenly opened in your lives - that strength and help has gone away from you, to which you knew you might turn in any of the troubles which boys, and very young men, feel so keenly. Well, I am glad that you feel it is so: I should not have much hope of you if it were otherwise. The chasm will close up, and you will learn, I trust and pray, where to go for strength and help, in this and all other troubles....

You have been taught to look to one life as your model, and to turn to Him who lived it on earth, as to the guide, and friend, and helper, who alone can strengthen the feeble knees, and lift up the fainting heart. Just in so far as you cleave to that teaching, and follow that life, will you live your own faithfully. If I were not sure that what I am going to try to do for you would help to turn you more trustfully and lovingly to that source of all truth, all strength, all light, be sure I would not have undertaken it...'

And so the memoir begins. The life of an ordinary Englishman who was born when George III was on the throne, and who died during the reign of Queen Victoria. But what an amazing thing it is, to find that an ordinary life, one like mine (and yours too, I venture to say) could have such a profound impact on one's brother - such that he would write about it for his own family, and for others who would come later (like me).

The memoir has reminded me that even little things, done in the right spirit, with a consciousness of glorifying God and living as a disciple of Jesus, can radically impact others and inspire them to be better Christians themselves.

For Christians, it is clearly God's will that we live as lights, as ambassadors, as witnesses to the sheer brilliance of Jesus Christ and the manifold blessings of being in his kingdom.

As the days progress, why not resolve to read the works of great Christians, and allow good company to improve your thinking, and lift your eyes to the horizon of what God has done for previous generations.

Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.  Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.  

(Heb 13:7-9)

In addition, writing as the father of four brothers, and as a younger brother myself, why not remind ourselves of this truth:

A man of many companions may come to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24)

In the days ahead we do not know what will befall us. But we do know that we have a friend who sticks closer than a brother. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

PS: A copy of Memoir of a Brother can be bought here, if you’re interested.