After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you! Yes, you are our pride and joy.

~1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 NLT

When my two daughters were young, I attended all the group presentations in which they participated. I noticed the other parents. When their child was next to do a solo or recitation, the parents’ anticipation rose. Shortly, they were out in the aisle taking a picture.

My expectancy also peaked when one of my daughters was next to do her thing. I, too, jumped out into the aisle to take a picture. If she remembered her lines, she was smart like her mom and dad. If she forgot them, she was cute. It was a no-lose situation. She did not have to be good because she was mine.

Thessalonians is Paul’s letter to the church he had birthed by God’s grace. This letter drips with Paul’s parental love for those who came to know Christ through his ministry. Paul uses the imagery of a loving mother. God had brought these children into the kingdom of God, but Paul loved them like his own.

When we reach heaven, we will receive two rewards: God’s presence and a feeling of righteous pride about those we introduced to Christ. A double blessing.

Whether we have been a preacher, teacher, encourager, comforter, loving parent, or just an example of Christ-like living, we either plant, water, or witness the harvest. Regardless, the reward is the same.

Nothing done for Christ is ever done in vain. Those you lead to Christ will be your trophies and source of pride and joy.

Live in such a way as to receive a double blessing from God. 

Father, help me to see the opportunities You place in my path to either plant, water, or harvest. In Jesus’s name, amen. 

 

Genre: Non-fiction

Copyright 2025: A Double Blessing: Ken Barnes: All Rights Reserved.