by Pastor Rich Carlson

During his time in Corinth, probably about the year A. D. 51, Paul wrote two letters to the believers in Thessalonica, a city he had already visited. Paul had sent his young associate Timothy back to Thessalonica to establish the church more fully. The two letters to the Thessalonian believers helped encourage them in their faith and supported them as they faced persecution.

Paul wrote about the worship of idols compared to worshipping the true and living God. He wrote about living a pure and holy life, and about the second coming of Jesus. In effect, Paul said: Let me encourage you, support you, guide you, and build you up as you journey toward the kingdom. That’s my overview of the letters. Now here are some of the things that particularly struck me as I read the words of Paul to these friends of his in northern Greece.

Whenever I read the epistles I try to remember that I’m really reading someone else’s mail. This keeps me from feeling I have to apply every detail to my own life situation. Because I believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God, I believe that there are valuable lessons that God will teach me through His Spirit even though I live in a very different time and place than did the original recipients. Though every detail may not apply, the Spirit does lead as we seek to understand what may be specific to the Thessalonians and what may be eternal principles fitting people everywhere.

Here’s what especially blessed me this morning as I read the first chapter of Paul’s first letter to the believers in Thessalonica:

• Paul began by thanking God for the people he was writing to! Imagine how it would change our interactions with others if we started conversations this way.
• He prayed for them. Imagine how it would change our lives if we maintained an attitude of prayer for all those we encounter.
• He spent time recalling what God was doing in their lives. Imagine the blessings that would follow if we consistently looked for ways God is working in the lives of others. Paul especially noted: their “work produced by faith,” their “labors produced by love,” and their “endurance produced by hope.”
• He acknowledged with confidence that God was working in their lives because he saw not just words, but the power of the Holy Spirit evidenced by their deep conviction. Imagine what would happen to those I associate with if I was focused on identifying and affirming God’s work in their lives.
• He affirmed the Thessalonians by saying they were models for all the believers in Macedonia. Paul didn’t even have to tell people about the commitment of the believers in Thessalonica because the word was out! Others were watching and they had seen that the gospel of Jesus Christ made a difference in their lives. They had “turned from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait expectantly for His Son’s return.”

To let the gospel have its full effect in making my life like Jesus—that is what I want. That is our calling as Christians. It’s not a part-time good idea; it’s a total life commitment. Anything less than this is cheating God and cheating myself of all that God can make of my life. People are watching. I want them to see that God makes a difference. Want to join me?

Rich Carlson is campus chaplain at Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska. “God Is Faithful” is adapted from the email devotionals he writes regularly for the Union College family. Rich enjoys filling his life with God, his family, and especially his five grandchildren.