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Mission Possible

July 27, 2018

Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another . . . But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands. 1 Thessalonians 4:9-11a

1. LOVE ONE ANOTHER. The Apostle Paul praised the Thessalonian church for identifying and doing what pleases God and encouraged them to keep excelling. What this early church exemplified holds true today: The hallmark of Christianity is our love for one another. We can’t thrive and advance when we carry the weight of resentment. Let God deal with other people. When you show others mercy, you will receive mercy (Matthew 5:7).

2. BECOME CONTENT. Life is all about Jesus. When we envy someone else’s life or compare ourselves to them, we are basically saying that we think God doesn’t have enough. But God has plenty for everybody including you – plenty of guidance, plenty of blessing, plenty of resources, plenty of plans and purposes and strategies. In the midst of this information age when everybody knows everybody else’s business, God actually wants you to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business, doing your work for God and not for people (Colossians 3:23).

The soul [appetite] of the lazy person craves and gets nothing [for lethargy overcomes ambition], But the soul [appetite] of the diligent [who works willingly] is rich and abundantly supplied. Proverbs 13:4 AMP

3. DEVELOP DILIGENCE. We are created for good works (Ephesians 2:10). All of us had different starts, but we can become diligent even if we didn’t begin that way. As you dedicate yourself to work with all your heart, you’ll see breakthrough. It won’t happen overnight, but as you are faithful in the little things, God will give you responsibility over more (Luke 16:10).

God bless you!
Pastor Jeff

Pray this prayer:
God, my ambition in life is to do Your will and be pleasing to You. Help me to excel still more. I submit my actions, my attitude, and my motives to You. Help me keep my heart right. I love You, Jesus, amen!

dil·i·gent, adj.
Characterized by steady, earnest, and energetic effort. From the Latin diligere: to value or esteem highly, to love.

Copyright © 2018 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. “diligent.” Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Web. 25 Jul 2018 . Scripture taken from the Amplified Bible (AMP), Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.