Beginning Is Easy

How many times have you started a project, but quickly realized it was going to take you a lot longer than you were anticipating? All of a sudden, all this energy and excitement for the project vanishes and you find yourself needing something else to be able to keep going. What you need is resolve. And that is exactly what we need in our walk with Christ.

They called on God that he would complete their resolves.

To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his call, and may fulfill every good resolve and work of faith by his power so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thes. 1:11-12).

The church that Paul was writing this letter to was enduring a great amount of persecution. Paul had just given them a bit of encouragement, speaking of the judgement that would come on those who did not believe in the message of the gospel and who were persecuting His church. But, the church at Thessalonica had believed in the message. And because of their belief, Paul prays this prayer for them.

That God may make you worthy of his call. We are not worthy. Even those who were being faithful under the heavy hand of persecution weren’t worthy of His call. Not according to their own strength and ability. What made them worthy was God at work in them.

That God may fulfill every good resolve and work of faith by His power. We see that it is His power at work in us the gives us the resolve to do the works of faith that we have been called to, even under the most dire of circumstances.

So that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in us and us in Him.  The point of our resolve is that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in us. And that we are glorified in Him – not glorified in ourselves and our own ability to persevere – but that we are glorified in Him because of the power He has given us to persevere.

What you may need right now is not a new start, but a new resolve. Maybe you need to pray today God will make you worthy of His call. Maybe you need to pray that God will fulfill every good resolve in you. Maybe you need to pray and ask God to fulfill the work of faith by his power.

Beginning is easy. We don’t need strength to begin. We need strength to endure. We need resolve to endure. And only God can give us that resolve.

The Three for Morning, Afternoon and Evening.

“Now for Next” Prayer

What do we need to do now as a church to be ready for what God has for us next.

“What’s My Role” Prayer

Pray for God to show us the role we will play individually in accomplishing that mission.

The Conclusion

Ephesians 3:14-21

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.