BIBLE PASSAGE:
We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters,
and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more,
and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.
(2 Thessalonians 1:3)
MEDITATION:
Have you ever thought about thanking God for others?
I don’t mean just being thankful for how they have blessed your life,
or how they have been a good parent, child, friend, etc.,
but for the way they are living out their faith on a daily basis.
We all know people who profess to be Christians,
but their lifestyles (words, actions, attitudes, habits, etc.)
can raise questions about the sincerity of their faith.
Unfortunately, others may have questions about the depth of our faith.
We may argue their questions about us, but the questions they have
are based on what they see in us, and not necessarily in what we tell them.
The scriptures tell us that God is the only One qualified to judge,
but whenever others see things in us that they would not expect
to see in Jesus, they can become skeptical about our faith.
Obviously none of us will ever measure up to Jesus,
and we are susceptible to allowing our natural tendencies to rule
us, and prevent us from growing spiritually (not for others to see,
but for developing a closer relationship with the Lord).
We need the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our lives daily.
As our fellowship with the Lord increases,
a type of metamorphosis takes place which can be detected
by others when they see our spiritual maturity increasing.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:
The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17)
When we become ‘new’ in Christ, we put the Lord on display for all to see.
We can probably think of someone right now who has a special relationship
with the Lord, and it is seen in their daily life, and in their countenance.
Some pastor may come to mind, and we may think,
“They should have this kind of a relationship
because it is part of the ‘job’ description”.
Always remember, it is not their ‘job’, but their obedience to God’s calling.
But don’t be misled by these thoughts; pastors, missionaries,
bible teachers, etc. struggle the same as everyone else (and maybe
even more, because of the attempts by Satan to ‘bring them down’,
make them fail, and cause them to walk away from God’s calling).
What were the reasons Paul thanked God for these people?
What were the things he saw in them?
He listed two characteristics that he had noticed:
1. Their faith was continuing to grow (they were not in a stagnant state).
2. Their love for one another was increasing.
What prevented them from becoming stagnant in their faith?
We would have to assume they had a burning desire to know the Lord better.
They did not want to hear these words from the Lord at the end of their life:
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you.
Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:23)
In order to fulfill their desire to know Him better,
they devoted more time to praying, reading His Word,
and meeting with other believers to learn more about Him.
Their love for each other was probably increasing because
they were allowing the love of Jesus to flow through them.
More than likely they were never seen
participating in gossip sessions about others.
Rather than pointing out the flaws in others,
they probably focused on, and emphasized, their good qualities.
More than likely they encouraged each other and celebrated their
blessings with them, instead of becoming jealous of their good fortunes.
They didn’t have to have things that were bigger,
things that were more elaborate,
and things that were more expensive than what others had.
They were instead grateful for how God had blessed them.
“Love”, and not “things” were their status symbol.
They knew the value of selflessness over selfishness.
Why did Paul have this strong desire to pray for them?
With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you
worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your
every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. 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 1:11-12)
He prayed for them because he wanted them
to fulfill what God had called them to do.
He also wanted to see the Lord glorified through them,
and through the influence their lives would have on others.
And lastly, Paul wanted to see them blessed by God
for living their faith in a way that could be seen by others.
ACTION:
What do others think about your faith?
Is your lifestyle one that would inspire them to be thankful and pray for you?
Does your life cause others to want to increase their fellowship with
the Lord, or does it cause them to become skeptical about faith in general?
Are you thankful for those you know who are
increasing their faith, and their love for others?
Do you pray for them as Paul did? If not, then why not?
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for saving me! Help me to show my
appreciation and thankfulness by striving to know You better, by
growing in spiritual maturity, and by increasing my love for others,
and for You. I pray that others will be motivated to love Jesus more
and if they are lost, they will be convicted to ask for Your
salvation and surrender their lives to Your Will”.
blog: UTVOLWOODY.WORDPRESS.COM
BREAD FOR BELIEVERS 
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