I took my nephews to a trampoline park this week, a huge warehouse lined with trampolines and ninja courses. They played dodgeball on trampolines, basketball on trampolines, and wrestled on trampolines (unsanctioned by the management, of course). What an amazing innovation—wish it came 50 years earlier.

While there I ran into a guy chasing his toddler across the lobby. I mentioned the boy’s excitement and his father replied, Yea, he’s a real go-getter. Pride infused his tone. The kid was his father’s glory and joy.

Paul thought the same way of the believers he led to faith in Thessalonica, expressing his heart in this way: For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? It it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

Paul stands as one of the greatest influencers in history. He wrote much of what we read in our Bibles. But does he refer to his writings as his glory and joy? Not once, and neither his writings or his education or his travels or his conversations with kings. Paul found his glory and joy in a small group of suffering people trying to follow Jesus.

Which of course leads me to my glory and joy. Symbols of glory and joy draw my attention, from cathedrals to careers to money to Fortune 500 companies. Even multi-billionaires joyously ride their own rockets into space (which does seem pretty glorious).

But the words of Paul lift my eyes away from myself. My glory and joy lives in the people I intentionally go out of my way to build into and help grow. These include my kids, family members, friends, neighbors and co-workers. Who might make your list?

Another sobering way to consider this is to ask the question—who will mourn you when you gone? Not your lovely home or your bulging bank account. Not even your rocket ship if you own one.

Your mourners will be those you’ve invested in, who you’ve helped along the way, who see the love of Jesus in you. Those of your tribe who are your glory and joy.

1 Thessalonians 2 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Tim Wildsmith