People
have long thought about what their destinies might be. Some believe their
destiny is fixed and nothing can be done to change it. Others view that they
hold their destiny in their own hands. While God knows everything that will
happen in our lives, we have free will to choose what to do or what not to do. One
thing God has predetermined however, is His plan of redemption. In Paul’s first
letter to the church in Thessalonica, he wrote “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining
salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (5:9). What a wonderful destiny for
those belonging to the Lord! Since we know we have such a destiny, what should
we do about it? Paul gives a long list of commands for Christians to apply to
their lives because of their destiny.
No less than nine of those commands
have to do with our interaction with one another as Christians. Among those are
to “exhort,” “build up,” “be in peace,” “encourage,” “help” and “be patient” with
one another. As partakers of the same destiny, everything we say and do should
always be to aid each other, not hinder.
We are also told to “recognize” and
“esteem very highly in love” those who “diligently labor” among us as leaders
of the church. Being an elder is a major responsibility. They are tasked with
protecting, overseeing, and shepherding God’s sheep, to help them reach the
wonderful destiny that awaits them. As such, they will give an account to God
for the work they do (Hebrews 13:17).
Our destiny of eternal salvation is
offered to us through the Holy word of God; therefore, Paul says not to
“despise” or reject the word, but to “examine everything.” We should also be
those of “good” character, abstaining from all forms of “evil,” not quenching
the “Spirit” by living a sanctified life.
Because we know our destiny, Paul
reminds us to “rejoice always,” “pray without ceasing,” and to do God’s will by
giving “thanks” for everything. Life is hard and can be painful in many ways at
times. However, if we focus on the fact that God has already supplanted our
destiny through Christ, then we can rejoice, pray, and always give thanks to
the Lord. Live life in confidence, knowing that “whether we are awake or
asleep, we will live together with Him!”
Written
by Jesse LeMay
