Smiling Icon Challenge: Performing a“Business Blessing Blitz” in the Month of February

As I wrote last month, I’m doing some major recruitment this year with my Smiling Icon blog. I want to recruit you to be a “Smiling Icon,” whoever you are, wherever you are, right now and take some actions that immediately begin impacting the companies and businesses you are a part of.

This month I’m going to challenge you to be a “Simeon” (Luke 2:34) and have the audacity to take it upon yourself to “bless” your company, your businesses, your workers, or anyone who God has put you into contact with in your “sphere” of ministry influence.

“What? You mean you want non-pastor/non-priest me to dare to bless somebody?” you may ask.

The answer is yes, I do. More specifically. God does. Here’s why I say this. In the Smiling Icon Bible Study, I’m doing currently, I zeroing in on the book of Luke and I’m doing it in my typical Greek Byzantine OCD manner.

I recently got stuck on this phrase:

Luke 2:34

New International Version

34 Then Simeon blessed them and said . . .

And it led me to personal bible study on the concept of “blessing” in the Scripture. Simply pugged in the word “bless” in Biblegateway.com word search (Bless Word Search) and dear me, the concepts that turned up were amazing.

All kinds of people blessed in the Old Testament. God blessed, of course. But so did a whole host of others. The following is excerpted from my Smiling Icon Bible Study on the verse (you can access it at this link if you’d like Luke 2 33-34 Working Copy):

God blessed birds and fish. . . they blessed their sister. . . a father blessed a son . . . an elder/patriarch blessed a national ruler and. . . the twelve tribes of Israel, giving each the blessing appropriate to him. . . the High Priest lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them . . . the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to minister and to pronounce blessings in his name, as they still do today. . .  tribes could bless the people . . .the man of pronounced blessings on the Israelites before his death. . .  a mother in law could bless a relative and future son-in-law)!” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. . .a priest could bless a person to have a baby. .  . a prophet blessed a sacrifice and people wouldn’t eat the sacrifice until it was blessed. . .a guy attracted to a lady called for a blessing on her for her good judgment. . . a king returned home to bless his household /family.

God blessed. Fathers blessed. Whole families blessed a sibling. Elders and patriarchs blessed. Tribes blessed. Priests (their equivalent of pastors) blessed. Mother-in-laws blessed. A guy attracted to the wife of another man (who by God’s design he’d later marry) blessed. A king/national CEO returned home to bless his family. The list was endless.

The practice continued in the New Testament.

Jesus blessed children. Jesus blessed fishing businesses with a big catch. Simeon blessed the parents of Jesus. Believers blessed their spiritual leaders with blessings of peace. In discussing the concept of blessings in the Old Testament, the practice of blessing was honored. Esau sought his father’s blessing. We’re to repay those who dish out evil toward us with blessings. The list goes on and on.

So I’m making a Smiling Icon Challenger for the Month of February.

Be the “royal priesthood and holy nation” 2 Peter 2 says you are this month for your business, office, workplace, or parachurch ministry.  Be the spirit-filled image of God (Smiling Icon for short) you are this month.

Let’s do a “Business Blessing Blitz” this month of February.  Find someone to bless. Find someone willing to bless you.

But let’s take some baby steps to inject the contagious holiness the Bible says we have into the Marketplace this month.

To quote one of my favorite singers in a song she sings on “The Broadway Album” (Barabara Streisand):

“Having just the vision no solution

Everything depends on execution.”[1]

I have personally taken this challenge at the Tipp Center where I serve as a chaplain, and more importantly, as a Smiling Icon for God, at a recent business meeting and 15 businesses have signed up for their blessing.

So at this point, everything depends on execution. Live and give the Trinitarian life of God this month. Be and give a blessing in His name and see what happens.

[1][1] “Putting It Together,” The Broadway Album, Barbra Streisand