Awakening

1 Thessalonians 2:19
For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?

The thought of Jesus coming back is incredibly exciting but also totally freaky
What will I be doing when he returns, if I am still alive?
When I do meet Him face to face what will my hope be in?
Where will my joy be placed?

Paul asks the Thessalonians a strong rhetorical question
What is our Hope?
What is our Joy?
What is the crown we will be wearing and glorying in when Jesus rocks up?
Is it not you?

I think my religious side would say, oh you Lord are my joy!  You oh Lord are my hope!!?

Which scriptually is totally true and is the foundation and cornerstone of our faith, hope and love in this world and the life to come. JESUS.

However it is easy to get stuck in lip service to God, saying He is our hope and our joy but at the same time missing the point.

Is not Paul saying that the people that are all around us and the people we are yet to meet are our joy and hope?

People are the crown we will wear

People that we lead to Jesus are our hope

People that we serve are our joy

Jesus who is God (Colossians 1:15) showed us as he walked the planet that we were His joy

For the joy set before Him he endured the cross

What suffering are we willing to walk through for other people so they would experience the radical grace of Jesus?

Do we consider this a joy?

I know I don't always do this and people sometimes are the biggest burden not joy

So perhaps my heart needs to be regenerated and refreshed and refilled with the spirit of Christ that empowered Him even as God humbled himself to die the death of a criminal for us and count it Joy! 

What?? 

How great is this love???

Fill me Lord with this heart for others!

The Holy Spirit has been given to us for others...

If God can hope in us surely we can hope in each other?

If God can die for us surely we can smile and open the door for someone?

If God can reach out to the blind man, the beggar, the broken, the helpless, the rich, the religious, the bleeding, the possessed, the hungry, the prodigal, the old, the young, the sinner then we can reach out to one another and count it as a joy.

When Jesus looks me in the eyes what will he find?

When Jesus raises His eyes to see the top of my head what crown will he find?

I pray I am wearing those that God has called me to reach, serve and encourage as my hope, as my joy and my glory.

Look to Jesus, then follow His heartbeat and it will lead you to the person next to you today, it will lead you to those your heart burns for, trust His spirit, He is leading you...

Thanks for reading, be blessed for you are blessed.

It all hangs on this

+jk