Day 422: The need to grow – 1 Thessalonians 3 vs 6 – 13
6 Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you.
7-9 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? 10-11 Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith. Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you.
12-13 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones. 1 Thessalonians 3:6-13 New International Version
The apostle Paul sent Timothy from Athens to Thessalonica to find out how the new followers of Jesus Christ were getting on. He loved them and was concerned that their faith may have been shaken by opposition they had met up with from unbelievers, as well as by reports of his own trials that had reached them. Timothy brought back the good news we read of in vs 6. What does his response to that good news (in vs 7-9) tell us about Paul's heart?
He was a man who longed for the very best for God's people. He was less concerned about his own comforts, or any troubles he was experiencing, than about their well being. His greatest joy (apart from Christ's love for him) was to see other believers standing firm in the Lord. That's something we can all take to heart. To focus less on ourselves and more on others.
What do verses 10-11 tell us about new Christians?
I suggest they teach that there will be a need for consolidation and growth. When people come to Christ there will still be much to learn and they may still have many questions. There will be questions about old habits and customs. There will be questions on how to go about living the new life in Jesus in a world that doesn’t like things that the Bible teaches. We must never ever fall into the thinking that once people have 'made a decision' for Christ, the work is done. By the way, this isn't only true of new Christians – those who have followed Christ for years need to keep growing in their understanding and their faith as well. That's a big part of what Church and good Christian books is all about.
What is the goal of Christian growth according to the lovely prayer expressed by Paul in vs 12-13?
It is firstly that our love may abound, and even overflow, not only to one another, but to those outside the Church as well. This is God's purpose for our lives – that we may grow to love in the way He has loved us.
Secondly, the purpose of growth is that we will be prepared for Christ's return. And for that to happen, our hearts need be strengthened. I think this means a strengthening of our convictions and affections so that we strive to be holy and blameless. That's not always easy in a world where temptation is everywhere we go. But keeping the return of Christ in mind is a big way of keeping our hearts on the right track.
Don't be discouraged if there are still many things about the Bible you don't fully understand, or if your faith still feels quite weak at times. Growth is an ongoing experience. Some grow faster than others. Make vs 12-13 a prayer for your own life, as well as for your fellow believers.