1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace to you and peace.
2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you,5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
Reflection
- Chapter in a Glance: Paul praised God for the Thessalonians’ steadfastness and evidences of their true conversion.
- For Christians, faith, love and hope are not just abstract ideas. We see in the example of the church of Thessalonica that their faith, love and hope were very real and were manifested through their actions. These actions then became an example and a source of joy for Paul and other churches who heard about what God was doing among the Thessalonians.
- What do you think your reputation is with non-Christians? How can your faith (and the faith of your church or small group) become more of a witness to others?
- Ask God to make you a genuine witness, and pray for the witness of your church.
Prayer & Journaling:
Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell you.
If you have a prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.
Family Time (Begin this time by reading the passage above using a children’s Bible. If your children are younger, you may read vv6-8 only.)
Paul praised the Thessalonian Christians as they received the gospel and lived it out in their lives! They followed the example of Paul and of Jesus, and their faith became an example for Christians in other places. Is your faith in God an example among your non-Christian friends? How can you become a better example and a better witness for Jesus?
Proverbs for Today 23:5-8
5 When your eyes light on it, it is gone,
for suddenly it sprouts wings,
flying like an eagle toward heaven.
6 Do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy;
do not desire his delicacies,
7 for he is like one who is inwardly calculating.
“Eat and drink!” he says to you,
but his heart is not with you.
8 You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten,
and waste your pleasant words.