01 17 08 Thanks and Encouragement

“We ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters and rightly so, because your faith flourishes more and more and the love of each one of you all for one another is ever greater. As a result we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and afflictions you are enduring.”
(2 Thess. 1:3-4 NET)

Paul writes with his customary thanksgiving for the believers, though the thanksgiving is mixed with a note of comfort as well. God is perfecting these believers as seen in their perseverance through persecutions. The words, “because your faith flourishes more and more and the love of each one of you all for one another is ever greater,” points us to the reason for their thanksgiving. When going through the difficulties of life we can not only lose sight of God’s design to mature us in Christ, but also of our own spiritual progress of growth. Thus, in order to encourage them even more the apostle used two words for growth or progress, one that focused on their faith and the other on the progress of their love.

Our faith is tested daily, but especially when we and others go through trials and tempting. If God is not our God when we are really put to the fire, than is He really our God? He’s not just the God of good times, but the God of ALL time! So as a friends and fellow believers, we need to THANK one another for the support we receive. We need to ENCOURAGE one another in the middle of storms and do whatever we can to help one another through; a word, a letter, a phone call, a visit, a meal. We can’t wait to be asked to help, we need to volunteer! It has to come from love, from our faith, not from obligation or guilt.

I admit, at times it is hard to ask for or even receive assistance. We want to “be the man” and “handle our business”. That’s fine and good, but when I have been able to experience the unexpected generosity of people giving from their hearts, it has not only humbled me, but actually increased my faith and caused me to desire to give and do more for Christ and His people.

So when we see someone in need: let’s give. When we are in need: let’s receive with humility. Together we grow in faith, persevere through trials, and increase our love for one another and for the Lord. To each of you I say, “THANKS” ……“be ENCOURAGED”!