A THREEFOLD BLESSING

It’s a refreshing feeling when a verse in scripture just jumps out and speaks volumes to you especially when you’re feeling down, or dry, or just needing to hear some good news.  That’s what happened when I saw this verse.  I immediately remembered my friends in my prayer community and at my former workplace, specifically those who hold positions of great service responsibility. And I prayed for them this blessing.  Now it has become one of my favorite go-to blessings to share especially with those who are burdened with responsibilities.

“We constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith.” 

2 Thes 1:11  (NIV)

I love those three blessings.

First, it is a prayer-blessing that God may “make you worthy of his calling“.  All of us are called by God to accomplish His single purpose: to become more like Christ. But there are specific callings for each of us to do what is right and good according to the circumstances and the giftedness that God generously makes available to each one of us. Blessed is he who feels confident that what he is doing is exactly what God wants him to do at that particular moment. But there is the majority of the believers who earnestly seek to discern God’s specific will in their careers, in their service, in their relationships, in their choices, yet only hear ambiguities if at all. And this blessing refers to the joy of doing whatever we choose to be doing — with thankfulness for the opportunity to bring pleasure to an all loving Father-God.

Then the next blessing is the hope that God may “fulfill all the good outcomes you desire“. Not just desire, but resolve, to do. Rather than just be full of good intentions, the resolve to do good things is what is called for, and this blessing-prayer hopes that God will fulfill by His power that good work which we resolve to do. We all know that doing good is not easy; and I would often say that if it was easy to do good, then we wouldn’t need a savior. And so, this second blessing affirms what Romans 8:28 says, “We know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.“

And I might add that behind this prayer is the human desire to be able to witness with our own eyes and in our own time how our work is bearing fruit. While God will work for good in all things, it is a rare blessing that we would actually see the fruit with our own eyes, and in our own time. It would be nice to. And so this blessing prays for that pleasure of tasting the harvest of our seed planting.

Finally, the third blessing prays that God “will fulfill (bring to fruition, as some translations would say) all the things you have acted on in faith“.  I recall when Jesus asked two blind men who were following him for healing, “Do you believe I am able to do this?” But it is not just this kind of “passive faith” that is referred to in this particular blessing. Rather, it is the kind of belief in God’s power to work in us, that moves us to act according to God’s will, despite our weaknesses, our inadequacies, or the lack of resources or in the face of challenging circumstances.

And so, there. I share this threefold blessing with all my friends and all those who read this who desire to honor God by responding to His calling for them.  I pray this for the pastoral workers and leaders in Ligaya, who generously give of their time and their attention to care for those whom they are discipling.  I pray this for my former colleagues, all good friends, in TSPI, a Christian micro-enterprise development organization, who embrace the mission to transform the lives of the less privileged with authentic Christian love – under physically and transactionally challenging circumstances.

And as I post this today, June 16, 2019, the day dedicated to all happy fathers, I pray this for my son and my sons-in-law, and for all awesome fathers who wholeheartedly embrace their role as priest, provider and protector of their family.

May God make you worthy of his calling, and may you see the power of God at work in what you do, and in the impossible things you entrust to Him in faith. 

And just to put icing on the cake, the next verse (v 12) has a beautiful promise.  It says,

“Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him.”

2 Thes 1:12 (NLT)

VIEW a SLIDESHOW of the blessing, and feel free to share the link if you like to bless others.