Sometimes we just feel so unworthy, don’t we? We’ve done things we shouldn’t have done. We’ve said things that have hurt others and we wish we could delete these things out of our lives. Or maybe you have had to suffer something very difficult: the death of a loved one, anxiety, or even persecution for your faith. We might feel that we suffer these things because we are not worthy children of the Lord. The Lord is just not happy with us.

But Paul tells the Thessalonians that the Lord counts us worthy of our calling. This calling is the heavenly calling to live holy lives in Christ Jesus. It is the calling to be and live as children of God. We are God’s children and God says we are worthy of this task. You are worthy to be called God’s child and to do the things he wants you to do.

But how are we worthy? Certainly not from ourselves. We all sin all the time and that’s why we, from ourselves, are unworthy. But God tells us that because of the suffering and death of Christ Jesus, we are now forgiven and are worthy children of his! Isn’t that wonderful? Even though we aren’t worthy, God sees us as being worthy, all because of Christ’s work for us.

But then we sometimes wonder if we will always keep serving the Lord. Will we always live up to our calling? How can we keep fighting against the same sins every day again? At times it can seem so hard. But again, the Lord assures us here that he will continue to work in us. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, he will help us to keep serving him till one day we will be glorified. By God’s grace we can continue in our calling of serving the Lord in this life, till the day that Christ returns in glory and we can live with him eternally.

Every day again, pray to God, confessing your sins and thanking him for making you worthy in Jesus Christ.

Reflection with your child:

How is the Lord able to call us worthy when we are actually so unworthy?

Source: Sermon by Rev. K. Dekker