TRAWDADDY: 05/25/24

And in this regard we pray for you always, that our God will make you worthy of his calling and fulfill by his power your every desire for goodness and every work of faith, that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 NET

As Paul frequently did, he opened this letter by sharing his prayer for the Thessalonian church. His prayer was twofold.

That God would make them worthy of his calling. And that God’s power would enable them to accomplish the work they were doing for God.

They could only be the church God wanted them to be with God’s empowerment. Only then would they be able to make a difference in the world around them. God’s power was necessary both in being the church and in doing the work of the church.

Paul’s prayer for them was not just that they be worthy of God’s calling and fruitful in their service. Those are indeed worthy goals. But there is a greater good. Paul’s prayer was so that Christ would be glorified, or honored, in them and what they did. And that they, in turn, would be glorified in Christ.

It should be our goal, both as the church and as individuals, to bring glory to Christ in all we are and in all we say and do. When reading this, I have to ask myself, “Is Christ glorified in me? Am I living a life worthy of God’s calling? Do my words and actions attract people to Christ? Or do they repel them?”

It is unfortunate today that, as believers, we are so often known by what we are against rather than who we are for. We should make it our goal to live lives of love that will honor Christ and draw people to him. Lives that will glorify Christ.