Do So More and More

Read 1 Thessalonians 1-5

Recently I've been spending time reading and re-reading Paul's first letter to the church at Thessalonica. And I'm as impressed with these believers as Paul was. Take ten minutes this week and read through the short letter and you won't be able to miss the unmistakable encouragement and support Paul offers this local congregation.

Now you might be surprised to learn that this body of believers was young in their faith, yet Paul heaps praise after praise on them knowing that they are faithful followers of God Almighty.

The question I have is why? Why were they so passionate and faithful even though they were so young in their faith? I think the answer is two-fold. First they understood to the core of their beings the importance and impact of Jesus' life, death, resurrection and promise of His return in their lives. And secondly, they had Paul. Paul was someone who spent some time with them and helped them mature in their faith. Who do you have that is your Paul? Someone who's there to encourage you when times are tough (the Thessalonians were certainly no strangers to intense suffering and persecution because of their faith) and who do you have who's there to remind you with encouraging words? Paul said over and over to "do so more and more." You see they were living their lives differently every day since they came to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, their leader and forgiver of their sins. They had chosen to live so differently that their reputation was known so well that they were called "imitators" by Paul because they imitated his life who of course was imitating the life of Jesus.

Friends, every one of us should be fixated on living lives that others will desire to imitate because they see Christ in us. And then we can encourage one another with Paul's words that we continue to imitate and do so more and more for the glory of God.