Remember/Rejoice

Since we belong to the day, we must be clearheaded by placing the breast plate of faith and love over our hearts, and a helmet of the hope of salvation over our thoughts. 
1 Thessalonians 5:8


In the Aramaic it can be translated “be clearheaded in our vision as we are deployed on the battlefield for faithfulness and love, and set apart with the shield of the hope of everlasting life.”


The Lord has had me in 1 Thessalonians 5 for a good part of the new year as I pray and ask for my word for the year. And even though I do not have it yet I can not shake this nudge. I don’t quite understand the nudge fully the closest thing I can get to words are “remember/rejoice” and even those don’t fully resonate. 


"For God has not destined us for wrath but to possess salvation through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One." 
1 Thessalonians 5:9



Do you realize that God chose you? You are not second best. You are not the last one to be picked at recess. YOU are the one He wants. And He is not waiting for you and I to fail. No, God is waiting for us to succeed. To fully step into all that He has blessed us with. To fully receive the fact that once we receive Jesus we are then adopted into His family as children, His children.


As I pray and meditate on what I am believing, striving, reaching for this coming year, I cannot help but look back at this past year. I had my fair share of trials and struggles and “seriously” moments through out the year. But the reality is those were not the highlights, the things I remembered first or even right away. 
Without being too “churchy” the main topic throughout the past year was “Wow, God”. 


If hindsight is 20/20 then I want to look back and remember. I want to be able to look back and see how my God made a way where there was no way. How God choose someone like me to show His incredible, overwhelming love. How God chose to restore relationships, mend heartache, heal sick, forgive, and mold, grow, and develop me and my family along the way through the good and the bad.


God is always good. He is never not good. And if we let Him, God will never waste a situation. He works ALL things for the good of those who love Him.


"…because of this, encourage the hearts of your fellow believers and support one another, just as you have already been doing."
1 Thessalonians 5:11



Our testimony, our life is supposed to be an encouragement to us and to those around us. Our lives are supposed to be a reflection of the Light, His Light. So we remember. We lean in and we share with others what He has done. And it bring encouragement to both us and them. It leads us into excited anticipation and expectation. 


God is NOT done with YOU yet! He wants more. He want to share with you more. In Ephesians it says that every spiritual blessings has already been lavished upon us as a love gift from the Father. There is so much more our Father has to offer. There is so much more He wants to do in and through you, His child.


"Let joy be your continual feast. Make your life a prayer. And in the midst of everything be always giving thanks, for this is God’s perfect plan for you in Christ Jesus."
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18



I want to look back and see that hindsight and rejoice seeing how God used every part. Even the really uncomfortable parts. Even the growing parts. I want to look back and see that...

"The One who calls you(me) by name is trustworthy and will thoroughly complete His work in you(me)."
1 Thessalonians 5:22
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I want to remember what He has done for me and rejoice for what He is and will do. And I want to invite Him to do just that. I want Him to help me look more like Jesus so that by the end of 2022 more people will see Him through me.


It’s not about me. It’s ALL about Him. 


Love Ya!
Alexandria

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Written By: Alexandria Brown

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash