Two: Glory

1 Thessalonians 2:11-12

"11For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory."

Here's a little background info for you. The apostle Paul here is writing to the newest church and its members in Thessalonica, a thriving seaport in Macedonia. He went there just about 20 years after the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ to spread the gospel and help establish the first church in the city. After just a short while, possibly a few weeks, Paul had to flee to Borea, then Athens, and eventually Corinth because of upheaval and abuse from the Gentiles. He had been hearing good news about the church and its members since he left the city and wanted to write to them from Corinth to encourage them through trials, give instruction on godly living, and correct any misconceptions they had about spiritual doctrine.

In this verse, Paul reflects on how he and his partners (Silas and Timothy) treated their new friends in Christ like their own children. Encouragement, comfort, and challenge. These are some of the aspects of good parenting. I think we all know what bad parenting can involve, right? Badgering, guit-tripping, ultimatums, and the like. Paul acts like a father to other Christians. He guides. He guides them so that they will "live lives worthy of God." What does this mean? In Colossians 1:10 it is written: "10And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,"

Paul recognizes that we are to urge each other to bear fruit and grow in the knowledge of God. We urge each other so that we can glorify God and be His glory! "Spiritual parenting" is a term I first heard just a couple weeks ago, and I really like how descriptive it is of what Christians can do for each other. By being a spiritual parents, we can uplift each other in our good works, we can be accountable for each other, and we can, not shame each other, but act as Christ did! We can love, challenge, and comfort each other.

Glory. It is often something we see as a "God quality," like holiness or omnipotence. But God has made each of us with inherent glory! In Psalms 8:6 it is proclaimed to God "5You made [man] a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. 6You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet."

We are all God's glory to begin with...it is just our resonsibilty to parent each other and glorify God with it! Produce works and gain knowledge of Him. That is what we are to do and urge others to do. Just remember that we are all God's glory and that we can be each others' glory too! Like mothers and fathers dote on and challenge their children, so can we with our spiritual brothers and sisters.

One: Purpose

There is so much good in the world. God blankets me with protection, beauty, and love all the time, but I never pay any attention to it. I spend my life checking Facebook, working in the studio at school, or griping about the things I wish were different. God has given me the opportunity to see the good in the world, to see Him in the world...but more often than not, I choose to see something else.

One of the greatest hurdles in my life is spending time with God. I often see this world a place for me to live my life day by day, puttering along, without actually doing anything good, without seeing the good God does in my own and others' lives. God originally gave us this world as place to hang out with Him, and we sinned and lost that chance. There was a great divide.

But my father sent His son to bridge the gap, to take the nations pains and sins upon Himself. He gave us a chance to be with Him again, and a chance to see Him in the world.

My purpose here is to chronicle, if you will, my experiences with God's greatness. There is so much I don't see, don't reflect on, don't respond to. I want to take the opportunity God gave me to grow with Him.