When the righteous [tsaddiqim] prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy. Proverbs 11:10
“The average middle-class (or wealthier) Christian in America has been blessed with much from God — skills, wealth, opportunity, vocational position, education, influence, networks. We are, in short, the prospering. The purpose of all these blessings is simple to state and difficult to live: we are blessed to be a blessing. Our generous heavenly Father desires us to deploy our time, talents, and treasure to offer other foretastes of the coming kingdom. Those who do so are called the tsaddiqim, the righteous.”
Amy Sherman in Kingdom Calling: Vocational Stewardship for the Common Good (Downers Grove: IVP, 2011) 45.
When “the righteous” [tsaddiqim] serve as conduits of God’s blessings, the city really does rejoice! I know one city in America where there is rejoicing daily because of the generosity of the righteous: Skowhegan, Maine. After my pastors conference concluded yesterday at Camp Spofford, I drove from Spofford Lake (pictured above) outside of Keene, New Hampshire, to Skowhegan, Maine, to attend the first meeting of the newly formed board for Shelter by Jesus.
Shelter By Jesus is a place where “the righteous” have build a home for the homeless to find healing and hope in Jesus Christ. The shelter has a church service every day (I got to preach last night) and hundreds of people each year come to faith in Christ. The city rejoices because rather than hoarding God’s blessings, the saints up here in Skowhegan, empty themselves in Christian service to bind up the wounds of the broken and help get them back to working and living.
Father in heaven, thank you for blessing us to be a blessing. It is easy for us to receive your blessings and hard for us to serve as conduits. Forgive us for the times we think and act as though we earned them or they belong to us. May our generosity lead many to faith and cause our cities in America and around the world to rejoice because “the righteous” are living out the faith. Make it so by your Holy Spirit we pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.