Last night, I watched the Disney special on TV to celebrate Christmas. And ad nauseum, the celebrities were saying, “This season is all about friends and family and celebrating.” I like my friends and family like they do. And I like celebrating too. But if that is all there is, then it’s a very sad life. This life is more than about family and friends. It is more than about having a good time and creating memories with them. At least, I want my life to be more than that! Don’t you?
It is about Jesus. The Creator, the Redeemer, and the Sustainer. He’s bigger than me. He’s bigger than my friends and family. He’s bigger than this era. He’s bigger than all of history. I want to my life to be about someone as big as Him! And I want your life to be about Him as well.
I came across this pastoral prayer by Paul that reveals his heart. And this is the prayer that I pray for you and my family:
“..that Our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so 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 Thess. 1:11-12)
If I may break it down:
- Make you worthy of his calling. You are called to be sons and daughters of the most high. My prayer is that your speech, conduct, motive, faith, and purity will be worthy of it.
- Fulfill every resolve for good. I pray first that you will have resolve for good. And those resolves will come to fruition whether helping the poor, counseling the weak, or saving the sinner.
- Faith by power. I pray that your faith will be demonstrated with power. We need God’s power to shine the light in this dark world to draw people to Christ.
- The name of Jesus may be glorified. This is the ultimate purpose of every prayer and every act. We seek His glory rather than our own.
- Be glorified in God. This is the reward we get. He will glorify us! I pray that this hope of being glorified in Him will keep us faithful to the end.
Amen!
PH
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