Good Morning Friends,
“But, brothers, when we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. For we wanted to come to you -- certainly I, Paul, did, again and again -- but Satan stopped us. For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy.” (1 Thessalonians 2:17-20)
Paul understood. He got it right. People matter more than anything, except God Himself. For Paul, there wasn’t anything in this world that held him. Money, he could live with it or live without it -- he had learned to be content either way. Possessions, they didn’t matter to Paul. Oh, he had a few scrolls that meant something to him, but what he possessed were just tools that he could use in helping people. Comfort -- he didn’t have much and found joy anyway. Fame -- worldly fame wasn’t his goal, he learned the folly of living to please men. No, there wasn’t anything in this world that held Paul -- except people.
He told the Philippians that helping people was the only thing that gave purpose to his life. There was no reason to live except to help people, because what was beyond death would be so much better.
The importance of people seems to be a hard lesson to learn. So many things in this world clamor for our attention. Our yards need maintenance, it’s important to keep our landscaping up to the standard of the neighborhood in which we live. Our houses scream for attention -- paint here, dust there, sweep another place, fix a leaking pipe, hang a picture, a thousand and one things that say they are important. Our jobs, our hobbies, our cars, there are so many important things in the world -- or so it seems. And often, too often, people and their needs have to get in line behind all of those other important things.
Seems out of balance, doesn’t it? What is our hope, our joy, our crown, our glory? People are -- and how God wants to use us to touch their needs.
His, by Grace,
Steve
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