I Thessalonians

I Thessalonians

 

            I've grown up in the church and have been apart of great bodies of believers.  Mission trips have taken me to other sides of the city and other parts of the world.  I have many good memories of the churches I have been apart of, but I also have some not-so-great memories.  But when I think of the special times, I remember the love of my brothers and sisters and I think of their faith.  These are the two big things Paul also saw in this church.  These people were in his prayers and he thanked God for them.  Knowing what we know now about Paul and the early church, these must have been very special people.  I can see in today's readings that these people fell in love with Jesus and His teachings.  They accepted and lived God's message (delivered by these great missionaries) and the modeled it to others by their faith and love. 

           

            These two words have become so common in our daily lives and in our society.  We are told to love one another.  We are told to have faith in God, but I am convicted and challenged to live this as the Thessalonians did.  The faith in God this church had "become known everywhere," and they because a "model to all the believers."  They did this because they "welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit."  Now here is my hard part. The joy part.  I don't always "welcome" God's word with joy.  I accept it, but not always with the delight I know I should have.  There are parts and times, even in today's reading that doesn't come easy to me.  I have notes to the side of these chapters saying "Christian Living," or a little sun ð meaning "Nikkie mission."  But this love and faith part is not that easy all the time.

 

            I guess Paul knew that this wasn't easy, so he kept the church in his prayers.  In chapter 3 11-13 we see the answer to how we can show this great love, and it is only through the Lord.  It is something I can't be or do on my own.  An over flowing love (that others will see and experience) comes from the heart, and only God can strengthen our hearts.  With that, we must continue to guard our hearts (and I'm saying this directly to myself.)  Guard our hearts from the temptation we face.  We do that by making "faith and love our breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet."  I think it's all apart of God's great wisdom and sovereignty that we read about death and Christ's return in the same book.  We have the hope in Christ's salvation that believers will meet together in the sky and that this world is only temporary.  Death has always been a part of my life and I have been to more rosaries, wakes, and funerals than many of my friends.  I have always reread chapter 4 and 5 knowing that God has a plan, and that there is hope.  

 

            Paul ends this book with great words of encouragement of how we should live…how as Christians and as a church that we can be examples of faith and love.  These are the ones I underlined because they are my biggest struggles.  Warn those who are idle…be patient with everyone…Be joyful always, pray continually, give THANKS in ALL circumstances…hold on to the good….avoid every kind of evil.  My flesh gets in the way daily.  I desire to love and have the faith of the Thessalonians and I pray that God works on my heart.  I pray that God works on all our hearts that we may be a church in Stamford that is known for our love for others and our faith.  These go hand in hand, but can only happen by God's mercy and grace and through Jesus's death on the cross.