The words were cross stitched and hung in a framed picture on my friend's wall. God's word is alive and powerful, it is good for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, even it you simply read it on a friend's wall.
"We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 1:3 When I read this verse I thought about when I was expecting my first baby. Physically I was miserable. I had a terrible case of nausea through much of my pregnancy yet I was filled with joy. Why?
"Faith is to be sure of what you hope for and confident about what you don't see." Hebrew 11:1 In some ways this would describe my pregnancy. I couldn't see my baby but I knew she was there. I spent the whole time I was expecting getting ready for her arrival. My work was, "produced by faith."
Then came the labor. Though I had been to classes to tell me what to expect while giving birth I was stunned by the pain. The most helpful advise I had been given was to focus on my baby and not on the pain. With every contraction I would envision my baby coming into the world. My labor was, "prompted by love."
Raising my children has been a privilege. It has been the best and hardest work I've ever done. Being a mother takes endurance it takes patience. Many times I have had to look beyond what my physical eyes could see. I have often been discouraged but I haven't given up because I believe that Jesus Christ to do for my children what I can not. My endurance as a mother has been, "inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."
There is a since of wonder and joy that I always had when I was expecting and raising my children. As I have meditated on this verse I have felt the Holy Spirit inviting me to live my whole life this way. Perhaps living a life filled with the sure promises of God's love is what it means to rejoice in the Lord always.
Lord Jesus, thank you for drawing me back to the truth. Sometimes I get distracted and discouraged by life. Thank you for the power of your word even found cross stitched on a friend's wall.
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