2 Thessalonians 3:4
‘May God direct your hearts toward the love of God and the patient endurance of Christ.’
Oh God’s love, perfect and boundless. Love pure divine and true. These here are the major ingredients of a mature Christian life that honors God.
God’s love will keep you forgiving, free from the tarnish of malice, anger, bitterness and jealousy. God’s love will keep you humble and grounded.
The patient endurance of Christ; who did not balk at the weight of sin that was placed upon him. May this endurance encourage us to carry our own crosses and follow Him to the end. May this endurance keep on the straight and narrow path, especially when no one is there to cheer us on.
Like the writer of Hebrew says so beautifully, ‘let patience have her work in you, so that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.’
I love the choice of words here, implying that its a journey. May we always be attentive to Your direction as You patiently and faithfully guide our hearts to Your love and perseverance – the hallmarks of Christian maturity, O God. We could never find this path on our own.
Shalom