Purpose in My Life: Glory to Christ

Introductory questions to chew

Would I feel uncomfortable in a church like the one described in verse 3? verse 4?

Have I trained my eye yet to find in others reasons to glorify God?

What in me brings glory to God from others?

It's early in the morning -- how shall I use my life to glorify God today?

Being in God's presence -- is that high on my list of priorities? (How high?)

Do I admire God?

For whom do I pray "always"? Why? How?

I bear the name of Christ -- is that a glorifying thing for Him?

Counted "worthy of the kingdom of God" and "worthy of this calling" -- wow!

For Me?

The church at Thessalonica was quite the church!

They had faith that was really growing as well as lots of love for each other.

No wonder Paul was continually thankful for them.

"We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth" (2 Thessalonians 1:3).

Though this was given as a statement about a congregation, it had to be true of the individuals making up that congregation.

Which brings me to me, who am an individual in a congregation. Is anybody thankful for me that way for those reasons? No. (Not that I know of, anyway.) Those reasons do not (yet) exist in me. If I had the heart of a panting hart, that would change.

Rest Waits

Someday, we get to rest.

"And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels" (2 Thessalonians 1:7).

Meanwhile, we deal with suffering, problems, temptation, persecution, conflict, and their ilk. Yuck!

Thankfully, we are not left alone to our own devices, struggling on in our own strength. Nope, we don't have to do it that way!

"Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thessalonians 1:2).

"We pray always for you" (2 Thessalonians 1:11).

Rest waits. But right now we can enjoy and live by grace, peace, and the prayers of others.

That also means I need to pray for others.

Please. Not Yet!

"And to you who are troubled rest with us . . ." (1 Thessalonians 1:7).

Like you already know, I like that. Sometime I shall receive the recompense of a righteous God (v. 6) -- rest!

Then I get to the rest of the verse, and I say, "Please! Not yet! Some people I love aren't ready yet."

". . . when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" (7,8).

So I admit it -- I want this grand event to wait.

Question is: What will I do with the "extra" time while God in His grace and patience waits?