Reading: 1st Thessalonians 2:5-8

1st Thessalonians 2:8 – “We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s good news but our own lives, too.”

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Moving on today to the rest of this week’s Epistle reading, Paul continues to review his visit to Thessalonica. He is doing so as a way to refresh these new believers’ understanding of how to disciple others. Because we read these words today they are instructive to us as well.

Paul and his co-workers did not try flattery as a means to bring people to Jesus. Their words and actions stayed focused on the truth revealed in and through Jesus Christ. Speaking the good news honestly and directly, Paul and his companions earned the Thessalonians’ trust. To further this trust and to deepen their connections to these new believers, the apostles did not seek financial gain or human praise. Without any hidden agendas, Paul and his co-workers could keep the focus on God’s message of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

To the Thessalonians, Paul and his companions were gentle and caring, “like a mother feeding and caring for her children.” The intimate nature of this family relationship is what Paul and his co-workers for Christ sought to build with these new believers. In verse 8 we learn more about this effort and about true discipleship. Here we read, “We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s good news but our own lives, too.” The commitment begins with love. It is the foundation of all relationships. The apostles’ commitment went far beyond preaching or sharing God’s message. It got down into the day to day living of life, to an intertwining of lives. Paul and his companions were there, sharing all of themselves with these new believers. The apostles lived out the words that they were preaching. When life gets hard, when the valley gets dark, when tragedy or hardship strike, are we right there with those we are sharing the good news with? May that be the commitment we make as we seek to bring others to Jesus’ saving love and grace.

Prayer: Lord God, as we share our faith with others, may they first sense our love for them. Help us to reveal it in the ways that we keep showing up and keep engaging in the struggles as well as in the joys. Reveal it in the ways we walk alongside others through all of life and in the ways that we pour ourselves into their lives. Through our love may others know your love. Amen.