And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me ‘away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country. Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done thee. And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake.
Genesis 30:25-27
Our lives touch more people than we realize, and our influence often reaches further than we know. This was certainly true in the life of Jacob. Although Jacob was far from perfect, God had promised to bless him and had faithfully kept that promise. Even his uncle Laban, who had often dealt deceitfully with Jacob, recognized that he had benefited from God’s blessing on Jacob’s life. When Jacob announced his intention to leave, Laban urged him to stay, acknowledging, “I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake.”
God’s blessings are not intended to stop with us. As we walk with Him and experience His goodness, those around us should benefit from His work in our lives. Our families, friends, coworkers, and even people we may barely know can be touched by our testimony, our kindness, our prayers, and our faithfulness to God. We may never fully realize how far that influence reaches, but we should seek to make it a blessing to others. Someone wrote the following lines:
My life shall touch a dozen lives before this day is done;
Leave countless marks for good or ill, ere sets the evening sun.
This is the wish I always wish, the prayer I always pray:
Lord, may my life help other lives it touches by the way.
