Devotion 10.23.26

1 Thessalonians 2

Paul's Ministry to the Thessalonians

1 For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. 2 But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. 3 For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. 5 For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. 6 Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. 7 But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. 11 For you know how, like a father with his children, 12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.

Paul is seeking to restore relations within the congregation at Thessalonica and opens this part of his letter by assuring them his visit and actions were done to promote Christ. 

Pastor Eric spoke of "tough love" last Sunday. Tough love is that which we use in order to establish boundaries for the target, usually a child, but it can be anyone in life we feel we need a reset with. Tough love can be...well, tough. In the end, though, it can be worth it if it establishes the ends we were seeking. It is, to use the old adage, easier said than done.

So, what is the story with Paul and the church in Thessalonica? Sometimes after an event, relations can be strained. In this case, during Paul's visit, some in the town persecuted Paul and those he was with and he and his group were "separated from the congregation." Paul, then, is speaking in restorative language in an effort to heal any wounds caused by the separation. 

If you are in a leadership role of any kind, I hope you appreciate Paul's efforts. He is the ultimate leader/manager for Christ. First, he himself visits and helps the congregation establish itself. Then, he has people he knows and trusts stay behind to continue the teaching/training in the message he's leading. Third, he communicates with them via a messaging mechanism in that day, word of mouth, to hear of their progress/regress. Finally, he writes to restore any errors, false teachings, or to reinforce successes. Today, he uses his letter writing to restore relationships. Ultimately, through it all, he seeks to do the will of Christ. 

The cycle may repeat itself since we know Paul made at least three recorded missionary journeys.

Paul is the epitome of intentional in all he says and does.

The intentional life of a Christian, as led by Paul's example, tells us there is limited time and much to do. When the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few, use your time wisely. It also speaks to a sense of urgency. The limited time Paul realizes he has on this earth gives him a mission-minded frame of reference. Finally, Paul utilizes any and all available talents and resources to see the work, his mission, though.

How are we doing on an intentionality scale in life? How are we at balancing our resources to maximize the impact they can make? How are we at communicating using today's media (written, posted, spoken)? Are we intentional in sharing God's Word daily in our families, various communities (work, home, other) through various media, and more importantly, actions?

Pray that we use the gifts God has given us to develop and keep relationships to promote and share his Word with others - intentionally. Amen