Good morning! Do you recall the excitement and joy of watching a live performance? In those performances, we are generally drawn into stories and illusions that take us to the place that was scripted for our enjoyment, then shortly after we leave we return back to our regular lives. Today, we will begin our reading in 1 Thessalonians chapter two (2) where Apostle Paul reminds us that his call is not a performance to seek short-term praises or accolades, but a desire to fulfill the call on his life – to boldly share the Good News.

Bible verse – 1 Thessalonians 2:1-6 NLT

“ ¹ You yourselves know, dear brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not a failure. ² You know how badly we had been treated at Philippi just before we came to you and how much we suffered there. Yet our God gave us the courage to declare his Good News to you boldly, in spite of great opposition. ³ So you can see we were not preaching with any deceit or impure motives or trickery.

⁴ For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts. ⁵ Never once did we try to win you with flattery, as you well know. And God is our witness that we were not pretending to be your friends just to get your money!  ⁶ As for human praise, we have never sought it from you or anyone else.”

Reflection

There are four key words that stood out to me this morning:

• Approved

• Entrusted

• Purpose

• Examined

Apostle Paul knew the Lord had approved him when the Lord called him on the Damascus road. The Lord entrusted Paul to share the Good News and it wasn’t always received well by some people. However, Paul knew his purpose and was confident in it so he did not need the accolades of others, because he wanted to please God over anyone else. Paul’s motives and heart was aligned with the Lord’s.

Sisters and brothers, the Lord’s plan and purpose for our lives is ongoing. He is continously transforming us into godly women and men who seek to put God first in everything we do. We are not perfect, but we are being perfected in Christ – the Lord will continue his work within us (Philippians 1:6). The Lord has called/approved us, entrusted us to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, given us a purpose that only we can fulfill through Christ Jesus, and He uses us and our lives to bring glory to His name – not our own. Do we fall short? Yes, sometimes but who among us are perfect? It is through Christ where we are able to humbly surrender our lives, our flaws and imperfections. It is by His grace that we are forgiven, called to continue to mature in Christ, and share the Good News.

As we seek to live our lives for Christ, let us consider our motives. Let’s make sure that our commitment isn’t short-lived or an act/performance to gain accolades or human praise. Let us be authentic and trust worthy in all that we do. At the end of the day, the call is always to point others to Christ.

Questions to ponder:

• What has the Lord entrusted to you?

• What purpose has the Lord given you?

• Are you seeking to live out that purpose to please God or other people?

• Are you willing to examine the motives of your heart and align them with the Lord’s?

Prayer

Father God, thank you for all that you have done for us. Lord, thank you for saving us. Lord, continue to work in us. Transform our attitudes, our thoughts, our reactions and our hearts. Lord, please heal those who are ill and restore their energy. Keep us safe today. Lord, help us to walkout our purpose and give you all the glory and praise. Amen!

——–

PRAYER REQUEST
Do you have a prayer request? We would love to pray for you. Send your prayer request to: contactus@maryewhiteministries.com

Bible Reference: http://www.biblegateway.com

Copyright ©️ 2017-2030 Mary E. White Ministries, all rights reserved.