ESOCS Devotional 9 March 2023
TEXT: 1 THESS. 2:1-12
MEMORY VERSE: “That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.” 1 Thessalonians 2:12 KJV
A Christian should be more concerned with the development of personal character, growing in grace, maturing in the faith, and the manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit, than engaging in a ministry of activities – however valuable it may seem to us or to others. The latter can only flow from the former.
The gracious attitude and godly conduct of a believer is of more significance to our heavenly Father than the good works that we carry out for Him. God is more concerned with who we are than with what we do. Oh… God has prepared good works for all His children, but they can only be carried out profitably in the one who is walking in spirit and truth, trusting the Lord wholeheartedly, and not relying on their own understanding.
Paul’s challenge to the believers at Thessalonica was to walk worthy of God’s call on their lives. He urged them to live in a manner that was worthy of God, who calls each one of us into His kingdom and glory. The message Paul taught, combined with his own personal lifestyle, was a living example of a worthy walk before God. Paul exemplified a man living to honour the Lord and reflecting the character of God.
Just as we can never fulfill Christ’s new commandment to love others as He loved us without His sufficient grace flowing through us in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, so we are incapable of walking before God in a worthy manner without the enabling of His Spirit, through His sufficient strength.
We are all called into a life of holiness. We are commanded to live and move and have our being as a worthy witness to the Lord Jesus Christ, who saves and sanctifies us. Our Christian walk should be the transparent evidence of a life, wholeheartedly surrendered to our God – both in the intent of our minds and the testimony of our deeds.
It is only when we are willing to admit that without Christ’s sufficient strength, we can do nothing … that He empowers us through the indwelling Spirit of Christ. It is only as we confess that we can do nothing in our own strength that we receive the sufficient grace to walk worthily before Him! It is only as we understand that we can do all through Christ, because HE strengthens us, that we can walk in a manner that is worthy of God – Who calls us into His own kingdom and glory.
Let us seek to walk in a manner that is worthy of our calling as children of God.
- Does your personal character and conduct give honour to His holy name?
- Dear Lord, enable me, in the power of Your Spirit, to tread each step of my earthly walk in a manner that is well-pleasing to you. This I ask in Jesus’ name, AMEN.
FURTHER READING: Exodus 5:15-23; 1 Kings 11:1-13; Mark 2:18-22
Read Yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
Thank you for reading the ESOCS Devotional today. Please share and follow us on all our platforms to contribute to the spread of the Gospel.
ESOCS Devotional 9 March 2023
