Tuesday 2 July, 2013

9 Brothers and sisters, I am sure you remember how hard we worked. We labored night and day while we preached to you God’s good news. We didn’t want to cause you any expense. 10 You are witnesses of how we lived among you believers. God is also a witness that we were holy and godly and without blame. 11 You know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children. 12 We gave you hope and strength. We comforted you. We really wanted you to live in a way that is worthy of God. He chooses you to enter his glorious kingdom.

I can imagine Paul and his companions with the young Thessalonian church, teaching the new believers how to follow God, and passionately declaring how great and how good God is. What a beautiful picture Paul paints of him taking on the role of a father encouraging his children, to show how passionate he was about the people of Thessalonica living for God. I imagine a father teaching a young child how to ride a bike, urging the child to push the pedals, and encouraging them that they can do it. Paul is imitating God’s way.

God does not condemn me for failing to follow Him perfectly. God does not give up on me, even when I’m frustrated with myself. God is present: full of love, encouraging me, comforting me, and urging me to live a life worthy of His greatness. God has called me to partner in His greatness; to be a part of the amazing story He is telling; a story of sacrifice, hope, and redemption.

Lord, thank you for encouraging me, thank you for calling me to such a worthy aim, to live not for myself or my agenda, but to live for you, and partner with you to see the impossible come about. Amen.

Written by Beth Waugh