What Makes Someone a Blessing?
What if the most important thing said about your life wasn't what you accomplished, but who you encouraged? Hidden in Paul's travel plans is a portrait of ordinary believers whose integrity, compassion, and faithfulness made an extraordinary impact on the people around them.
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Commendation of Titus
16 But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same earnest care I have for you. 17 For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest he is going[a] to you of his own accord. 18 With him we are sending[b] the brother who is famous among all the churches for his preaching of the gospel. 19 And not only that, but he has been appointed by the churches to travel with us as we carry out this act of grace that is being ministered by us, for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our good will. 20 We take this course so that no one should blame us about this generous gift that is being administered by us, 21 for we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord's sight but also in the sight of man. 22 And with them we are sending our brother whom we have often tested and found earnest in many matters, but who is now more earnest than ever because of his great confidence in you. 23 As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for your benefit. And as for our brothers, they are messengers[c] of the churches, the glory of Christ. 24 So give proof before the churches of your love and of our boasting about you to these men.
People Who Bless God's People: Titus and the Unseen Heroes
One of the greatest compliments you can give to a Christian is not merely that they are talented or successful in some way or influential. One of the greatest compliments is being called a blessing to God's people.
When our lives are over, many people will forget our accomplishments. They will forget our titles. They will not think much about our possessions. But they will remember people who helped others follow Jesus, people who strengthened others in difficult seasons, people who encouraged others when they struggled. They will remember whether or not we used our lives to be a blessing to God's people.
This is what matters most in the end. Not what we achieved for ourselves, but how we served others. Not what we built for our own glory, but how we built up the body of Christ. Not what we accumulated, but who we helped along their spiritual journey.
In 2 Corinthians 8:16-24, Paul suddenly shifts from discussing the monetary offering from the Macedonian church to discussing people—specifically, Titus and two unnamed brothers. At first glance, this passage might seem like a simple explanation of a travel itinerary and administrative responsibilities. But Paul is pointing out something profound: these are ordinary believers who are functioning in an extraordinary way because they have devoted themselves to being a blessing to God's people.
The passage teaches that there are three characteristics of people who bless God's people. Understanding these characteristics can transform how we view Christian service and community.
1) People Who Bless God's People Serve with Genuine Concern
"But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same earnest care I have for you. For he not only accepted our appeal but being himself very earnest, he is going to you of his own accord." 2 Corinthians 8:16-17
The word "earnest" in the Greek carries profound meaning. The root word is "entheos"—which means "in God." What Titus was doing stemmed from the reality of his walk with Jesus Christ. His life was "in God," the root of genuine enthusiasm. As A.W. Tozer reminds us: "God will tell the person who cares."
Titus was not merely performing a duty. He genuinely cared about God's people. He cared about the body, the bride of Jesus Christ. Paul describes him as a person with earnest care—deep concern, sincere interest, heartfelt affection for God's people. Titus was not traveling or carrying out a task because he had to. He was going because he wanted to. And that is all the difference in the world when it comes to ministry.
Ministry that emanates from obligation is Pharisaical. Ministry that flows from love is authentic. Many people can perform religious activities and check a box, but there is a difference when it emanates out of true care, caring for God's people from the heart.
Years ago, a study was conducted among the hospital's janitorial staff. They were asked: "What do you do for a living?" The majority responded: "I clean floors." But a minority said: "I help people heal."
The tasks were identical, but the task descriptions were completely different. One saw a job; another saw a ministry. Titus did not merely see a task that needed to be fulfilled. He saw people that God loves. He not only saw people that God loves, but he sensed the love of God, had the love of God for God's people, for God's bride.
The greatest blessing in the church often comes from people like that—people who genuinely care. The Sunday school teacher who not only spends hours preparing a lesson but also prays for each member of the class. The prayer warrior who is praying for church members, interceding for Jesus to work in their circumstances. The church member who notices when someone is missing and reaches out to them because they love them and care. The friend who sends a text at just the right moment.
People may forget sermons. But they rarely forget genuine care.
Who has God placed on your heart? Who needs encouragement around you? Who needs prayer? Who needs somebody just to listen? The art of listening is a lost art in Western culture. But you can give someone a great gift by truly listening. Being a blessing begins with allowing God, just like Titus, to fill our hearts with concern for His people, because the body of Christ is designed to build one another up.
All over the Bible, you see these "one another" commands: love one another, forgive one another, spur one another on to good works, pray for one another, encourage one another. When we come together, we are supposed to edify one another so that the body of Christ is loved well, we operate out of love, and we build one another up.
2) People Who Bless God's People Live with Integrity
"We take this course so that no one should blame us about this generous gift that is being administered by us. For we aim at what is honorable, not only in the Lord's sight, but also in the sight of man." 2 Corinthians 8:20-21
Integrity, at its root, means to be integrated—the profession of our lips matches our hearts. It means our public life and our private life line up. It means we do the right thing when no one is watching. It means we handle resources faithfully. It means our yes means yes, and our words and actions align.
Paul understood that this matter of integrity is not something that matters only to certain generations. Some might suggest that millennials and Gen Z care more about authenticity and integrity. This is true, but the reality is that integrity matters to every generation, every age, every culture. People instinctively recognize when someone's life and words do not align. They sense the difference between authentic faith and performance.
When I was in my 20s, as a new believer, I had an immature perspective. I was magnetically drawn toward people who walked with God for years. I wanted to learn how to walk with Jesus, commune with Him, serve, and lead. But when I got around these godly people, I would notice little things. In my immaturity, I would make too much of those little things. They were not sinful things—just things where I would think: "I would have handled that differently" or "I do not think exactly that way."
I did not understand that the New Testament teaches us to forbear with one another's weaknesses. It was not an indictment upon them at all. I needed to be reminded as a young believer that no one other than Jesus is perfect.
But as I matured spiritually, I came to recognize something powerful. Those godly brothers and sisters I was watching so critically—they had such genuine integrity that their lives pointed people to Jesus. Their service revealed His character. Their generosity displayed His heart. Their character honored His name. Their lives magnified His glory. And that is what integrity does. It does not demand attention for itself. It simply directs people toward Christ.
Paul understood something very important: good intentions and good work are not enough. God's work must be handled with honor, integrity, and appropriate transparency. Money was being collected from numerous churches and being transported over long distances. So Paul ensured that a group of godly people was stewarding these resources, moving them from one place to another. Everything was transparent. Everything was accountable. Everything was above reproach.
When engineers are building a bridge, they do not merely hope it will stand. Every beam is tested. Every support is examined. Every calculation is verified and re-verified. Why? Because lives depend upon it. Character functions in the same way. Integrity determines whether we will stand or collapse under pressure.
A person's reputation may take years to build, but it can be destroyed in a single moment. Paul knew the credibility of the gospel of Jesus Christ was an important task. That is why he over-communicated around the transparency associated with the stewardship of this gift.
Integrity builds trust. Families thrive when trust exists. Friendships deepen when trust exists. Billy Graham is remembered not only for his vast evangelistic ministry but also for his commitment to integrity. Early in his ministry, he and his team established safeguards regarding how finances would be handled, how accountability would be managed, how personal conduct would be addressed. They understood that giftedness alone was not enough. Character sustains what talent builds.
The greatest blessing to God's people comes through people who can be trusted.
3) People Who Bless God's People Advance the Glory of Jesus Christ
"As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for your benefit. And as for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ." 2 Corinthians 8:23-24
That last phrase is significant: "the glory of Christ." How often have you heard someone say: "John or Jane Doe is coming for a visit. They are the glory of Christ"? It is a heavy term. But Paul is saying they reflect Jesus. The service they provide is pointing people to Jesus.
The ultimate purpose of the Christian life is not self-promotion, not personal recognition, not building our own kingdom. It is demonstrating the glory of Jesus Christ.
The moon has no light of its own. Every bit of light emanating from the moon is not coming from the moon in its origin. It is coming from the sun. The moon simply reflects what shines upon it. That is a picture of the Christian life. We possess no glory of our own. Whatever goodness people see in us comes from Christ. Whatever love they see in us comes from Christ. Whatever grace or mercy they see in us is fruit of the Spirit. It comes from Jesus Christ, and our calling is to reflect His light.
The Bible describes the gift of administration, structure, and order. God is a God of order. But as we structure the church in good order, that alone is not enough. The church needs more reflectors of light—people whose lives make Jesus look beautiful, people whose generosity points to Jesus, people whose compassion points to Jesus, people whose faithfulness points to Jesus, people whose humility points to Jesus.
The world is searching for authenticity. Nothing is more compelling than a life that actually radiates Jesus Christ.
In the cathedral windows of Europe, sunlight streams through stained glass, and the colors fill the sanctuaries. There is a story of a visitor who asked a child inside one of these cathedrals: "What is a saint?" The child responded as he pointed to one of the stained glass windows: "A saint is someone that the light shines through."
That is what Titus was. That is what we are called to be.
The Unseen Heroes
The passage introduces us to men who never became kings. They never commanded armies. They never wrote books of the Bible. Yet even though their names are largely unknown, they revealed the glory of God. The Holy Spirit preserved them as an example. Why? Because God would have us take note. These are people who cared deeply, lived honorably, and advanced the glory of Christ. And that is a life that matters.
I think of Jezebel Lemons, a woman in a church where I once served. She wrote beautiful Christian poetry and walked deeply with God. The senior pastor chose to persecute her, mocking her and making fun of her poetry. But Jezebel had such a beautiful walk with God that she did not allow it to offend her. She kept loving him. She kept praying for him.
People in the church had a deep, endearing respect for her, not because she held positional authority, but because of her walk with Jesus. There was a spiritual authority that emanated from her heart. People would go to her for counsel. Jezebel set a tone in that church to pray for the pastor, to bless the pastor during this unique season, to love and forgive the pastor. She labored prayerfully and with godly counsel to help hold the church together through a tumultuous time. All because she was in God, and in God, she loved God's people.
I think of John Han, an elderly man in my father-in-law's church. The pastor had not said the name Jesus from the pulpit in six years. The Lord spoke to John and said: "John, I want you to stay, and I want you to pray that every time the name of Jesus is lifted up in a hymn, in a creed, or any time in the worship service, that the name of Jesus would be magnified. You are to stay and love God's people and intercede for them throughout this season."
John Hand was faithful in praying and interceding, laboring to lift up the name of Jesus and to encourage the body of Christ in this difficult season. I once dreamed of John swinging a bat in a baseball stadium, warming up, getting ready to go into the batter's box, with the crowd roaring for him. The next morning, I learned that John Han had gone to be with the Lord.
As I thought about that dream prayerfully, it was as if the Lord was saying: "Paul, you must understand. The heroes of earth are not the heroes of heaven. But oftentimes, those that are My unseen servants in the body of Christ are the heroes of heaven."
Jezebel Lemons and John Han strengthened the church. They encouraged believers. They handled God's work faithfully. They reflected Christ beautifully. They were a blessing to God's people, just as Titus and these brothers were.
Our Calling
The question for us is this: When our own story is told, may that be said of us as well. May we be known as people who cared deeply for God's people, who lived with integrity, and who advanced the glory of Christ.
What if we lived with the conviction that these three things—genuine concern, integrity, and advancing Christ's glory—are the true measures of a life well-lived? Not our job titles or our salary, not our social media presence or our accomplishments, but whether we have been a blessing to the body of Christ.
This changes everything about how we approach our daily lives. It changes how we treat the people around us. It changes how we make decisions about our time and our resources. It changes how we respond to opportunities to serve. When we understand that blessing others is the highest calling, it reorients our entire perspective.
Ultimately, the greatest blessing ever given to God's people is Jesus Himself. He cared enough to leave heaven. He lived with perfect integrity. He revealed the glory of the Father. He died for our sins. He rose again to victory. And now He calls all of us to follow Him.
May we answer that call. May we be people who care deeply, live honestly, and point others to Christ in everything we do.
May Jesus Christ fill our hearts wherever we go. As God's people are strengthened, as the church is encouraged, and as Jesus Christ receives all the glory, may we be faithful servants in His kingdom.
TL;DR
People who bless God's people carry genuine concern for others, serving from love rather than obligation.
Integrity matters because trust is built when our private character and public witness align.
Christian service is ultimately about advancing the glory of Christ, not our own recognition or success.
A life that reflects Jesus through compassion, faithfulness, and humility can leave an eternal impact, even without public recognition.
