1 Thessalonians 2:4
“but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts.”
Paul and his team were “approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.” This is quite a story. Paul was confronted by Jesus on his way arrest christians. He fell off his horse, then he heard Jesus say, “Saul, why are you persecuting me?” The Lord chose him. Over the next several years, he was mentored by some and taught by The Lord. He was approved by God.
The Lord also works on us to be approved. The bible calls it the process of sanctification. Ephesians 2:10 says that “we are His workmanship”. The word is greek is poema. It’s as if we are a poem He writes. I’ve heard it described that we are like clay that the potter molds. We may not see or understand what He’s trying to do, but He does. We may understand it in time.
The work He does includes larger changes, fine tuning or something in between. He wants to work out the anger, hurt and impatience and replace it with trust and love. He uses our interaction with others and the circumstances of life to mold us.
A key ingredient in this process is reading or hearing the bible. We are learning His ways. It’s more than an instruction book. Hebrews 4:12 describes it as “living and active”. It also says it’s “able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart”. Our motives may be poor. God through His Word can alter them. Our thoughts may also be harmful. We may have fears and sadness that has never been addressed. The Lord wants to work on those. He wants to heal our hurts. This is the process of sanctification. He is making us approved.
Paul was entrusted with the Gospel in a special way. He ended up writing a large portion of the New Testament. The Lord entrusts us with tasks. It may be having mercy and sharing God’s love with those around us. Possibly even sharing His message. We have family, friends and coworkers. If we are involved in serving, they are also part of our sphere of influence. We are to be a blessing to all of those. We are to pray for them and be a godly influence in their lives.
Lord, thanks that You are so involved in our lives. Thanks that You mold us and shape us. You remove the toxins from us. Thanks that You approve us to be a blessing to others. Help us to yield to You in all of this.