The Holy Spirit Brings Joy and Hardship

October 25, 2020

From today’s reading…

You took us and the Lord as your model, welcoming the word with the joy of the Holy Spirit in spite of great hardship.” 1 Thessalonians 1:6

I was at a wedding the other day chatting with a friend of mine who was worried about the current state of affairs. She said something to the effect that things are really bad now and she’s concerned about the trajectory of our state and nation.

While I, too, do not like the path we’re heading down, I reminded her that insofar as the history of the world is concerned, our peace and prosperity is an anomaly. Our geographic location, our resources, our capitalistic successes have made us soft and ignorant of what is really going on in the world.

We don’t have it that bad. Yes, things could be better, but they could also be 100x worse, and they will get 100x worse if we succumb to the inducements and the trappings of our comfortable lives.

Paul and the Thessalonians knew that to become followers of The Way meant persecution and “great hardship.”

You are a follower of The Way. You’re also a patriot. Be thankful for the great times we had. Be thankful for the opportunity to stand up and be counted as you fight to not only preserve but improve what you have been given so your children and grandchildren can more readily…

Stay the course.Keep the faith.Endure.

Now go sell something.