Pride!

For Thursday, November 14, 2024:

1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 NLT: “What gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you! Yes, you are our pride and joy.”

Pride, like many other things, is best enjoyed in small doses. It shouldn’t be about what we did or how we accomplished a task. It should be that we’re proud of the result, which honors the Lord, and God being pleased fills us with joy!

For example, Paul isn’t selfishly taking credit for the Thessalonian church. He’s praising what THEY have done, the fact that they stayed true to God’s Word. Draw a mental picture of Paul standing alongside Jesus as they both look down upon the Thessalonian church with pride, those loyal believers in an ever-hostile land. Together, their pride is rooted in that church standing its ground, despite the fierce opposition!

Rather than deterring us, Satan’s roadblocks inspire us to work even harder at completing our assigned missions! God always wins!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship