Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ 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
It is not uncommon in the Pauline epistles to find Paul praying for the church or city he was writing to, and the church at Thessalonica is but one example. Paul’s prayer for the church there was simple yet profound. He prayed that they would live in a manner worthy of God so that Christ might be glorified in and through them. What a magnificent course to chart for each day, to set out each morning to live worthy of God and to bring glory to Christ!
Many of us are “to-do list” people and have lists of accomplishments we hope to fulfill on any given day. If, however, we began each day with the objective of walking worthy of God for the glory of Jesus Christ, how would that impact our lists? What would it subtract, and what would it add? Each of us would do well to ask if walking worthy and bringing Jesus glory is on our list.
I am amazed at how fast a day can fill up and how many things need to be accomplished before I call it a day. I’m sure that it is true for all of us. But each day’s to-do list is not complete without having walked worthy of God and brought glory to Jesus Christ. How do we do this? Paul says that works of faith and power fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness. So before we call it a day, we might ask ourselves, Have I done something today that required faith and divine power?
This could be expressed in any number of ways: things you did or did not do, steps you took to express your faith and trust in God before others. It could be things you didn’t laugh at or gossip you refused to participate in. It could be speaking well of someone that everyone else was tearing down. It could be doing something that needed to be done, though everyone else considered it demeaning. It could be giving your lunch or lunch money to a homeless person you encountered on the way to work or school.
Paul’s prayer for the church at Thessalonica to walk worthy and bring Christ glory is a worthy goal for each day. The simple truth is, if you aim at nothing, you are sure to hit it. So run down your to-do list and see what’s on the agenda. Make sure walking worthy and bringing Jesus glory made the list, because if it is not on your list, it probably won’t happen!
Excerpt from “Body Builders” now available on Amazon.
