failing to eagerly wait

I'm not sure if it's because I'm mostly a pessimist, but I have really been dropping the ball on eagerly waiting for the redemption of both the world and the New Jerusalem and my own redemption.

"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 24:45-51 NIV)

Part of eagerly waiting for the appointed promise is to "give them their food at the proper time...". I take that to mean that we are to constantly be serving and encouraging fellow servants (other believers) as well as non-believers. We are to be in a constant mindset with the gospel on the tip of our tongue...always sharing it in word and deed.

After all, Paul writes that "The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed." Romans 8:19. The specific 'creation' word in the Greek that Paul uses, ktisis, is taken to mean a "creature" of creation, as in Gentiles, non-believers.

Now that's interesting. Even non-believers are eagerly waiting for the redemption. Which I think makes perfect sense. Non-believers, whether they like it or not, admit it or not, I believe were originally created in the image of God to worship Him and reflect His glory. And when that doesn't happen, something is off and not right ("subjected to frustration"...Romans 8:20).

The point is, as believers in Christ, we have the vision and promise of Revelation 21, the New Jerusalem.

For living out my present faith, I would do good to more eagerly anticipate Christ's return and actually try to believe in His promise and listen to His words.

really powerful verse

Please consider meditating on this verse. Reading the context is great too, but please meditate on this verse and how it relates to what Jesus may have done for you in your life.

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV)

successful sorrow

When the Apostle Paul wrote 1 Corinthians, it is thought to have been #2 in a sequence of 4 letters. 2 Corinthians is thought to have been letter #4 of 4 total letters.

And so consider:
Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God... I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds...Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter....
(from 2 Corinthians chapter 7 NIV)

In 1 Corinthians, Paul is both reminding the Corinthians and attempting to correct them because he dearly loves and adores them. Paul helped start the church at Corinth, and had invested a great deal of time and relationships into this church. It wasn't just another church down the road. There was a very real, true commitment and deep relationship between Paul and the church at Corinth.

The Corinthians in time got away from devotion to God, and were wronging God and each other. Living for themselves and pursuing selfish ends. Paul took personal offense to this, and probably had feelings of sadness and anger and disappointment that his children and family members were reveling in wild living and casting off the truth of God for wordly pursuits.

This passage in 2 Corinthians seems to be an affirmation passage. It seems that something did click with Paul's corrective attempts, and the Corinthians genuinely felt sorrowful for their previous behavior.

Paul is sorry that he hurt his beloved family members, but realizes that it ends up benefiting them and strengthening them. Sorrow in this case helped wake up the Corinthians.

I think there's a good take away for our modern-day culture. We typically see sorrow and sadness as bad things. They're not necessarily desirable. Nobody wants to be sad. Yet, if sadness brings about forgiveness or reconciliation, where there had previously been sin or brokenness, then sorrow has acted successfully.

"Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation.."