Today's encouragement comes from 1 Thessalonians 2:4, where Paul wrote these words to the church:
"But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts."Like Paul, faithful pastors today are not so concerned about pacifying any hu-man being, as they are about pleasing God. God's ministers know that they are of no value or good to man at all, unless they are first and foremost hon-oring and properly-representing their Lord Jesus, who sent them out to preach.
The same could be said for any faithful Christian church member. The believ-er's primary goal is to see Christ as the sole "audience" of all his or her wor-ship, devotion, and obedience. In this way (only) is effective ministry, and victorious living possible.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Indeed, sometimes grace is as a sleepy habit in the soul, like sap in the vine—not exerting its vigor, due to spiritual sloth or by reason of falling into some sin—but this is only for a while. The spring of grace will come, the flowers will appear, and the fig tree will put forth her green figs.” —Thomas Watson, in, "The Art of Divine Contentment"]
