12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 1:12

This is a common prayer of Paul’s but what caught my attention were those four little words in the middle, “and you in him.” We know that Christ should be magnified and glorified when we shine for Christ, but the other way around? BibleHub has a relevant comment about that: Christ is glorified in believers, when by their holiness they promote his cause and reflect his glory; and believers are glorified in Christ, when they receive out of his infinite fulness.

So when we accept or appropriate His goodness and gifts, we are glorified in Christ. In other words, He gives those gifts for a reason, so we can lead better lives in Christ. He wants us to use what He freely gives us.

With that knowledge, how can we apply that to our lives today?

For me it would be to recognize that he wants us to use the “tools” and gifts He gives us. He freely gives us many things, but if we don’t know they’re for our betterment (and His glory), then what’s the point?

Isn’t it fascinating that we can learn and apply new and different concepts of God in our lives every day?