“Scratch, scratch.” Can you hear the pen against the parchment as St. Paul concludes his first letter to the Thessalonians? The chain on his ankle clanks as he shifts his feet for a more comfortable position.
In his final words, he is inspired to encapsule a successful walk with the Lord. Where should he start? He picks a very important attitude-appreciation. What a winner! It stirs up encouragement, while it promotes soft-heartedness. It sets one up to notice “the things which are excellent.” It builds a base for unity, setting a strong foundation for love. Small wonder God led him to that! It’s health to every relationship! Yes, he must write of appreciation, a gift wrapped in loving, high esteem, for the important work done by their instructors in the Lord. How empowering to both giver and recipient! What happens inside when someone else appreciates us? This call to leader-appreciation communicates Paul’s heart of gratitude for their local leaders, who mirror his own role as original instructor for them all.
His next point handcuffs any evil plot which Satan orchestrates against them. “Live in peace with one another,” he writes. Recall “where envy and strife exists, there lacks no evil work.” Paul well understands the constraints of shackles. His point limits the activity of our enemy in a similar, spiritual, sense.
As he moves from point to powerful point, he connects a cycle of revelations we need to be conscious about in a growing awareness of our Christian community. He promotes a group mindset against being unruly; as well as one to encourage the fainthearted; to help the weak; to be patient with everyone. This last quality gives the individuals room to grow and space to respond to the Spirit "who is at work within us to will and to work for God’s good pleasure.” What wise advice! Could we find anyone at Christ Community Fellowship who could use some encouragement, or help or patience?
He follows with a strong halt to the repaying of “evil for evil,” substituting a transformational mindset of “seeking that which is good for one another” in our Christian community; and “for all people,” our worldly community. Such is the scope of the gospel of Jesus. What could we do to implement that here for someone else?
Next, Paul links his personal directives to build disciplines in the character of disciples, to leave them with habits of godly strength for life. The instruction just gets better and better!
As you peruse his powerful points, consider what an excellent prayer-path they provide for our fellowship in these times. These are worth praying for ourselves! These are great for us! The appreciation factor alone could work wonders for us with our present leaders and our future pastor as well! How does a harvest of being more appreciated sound to us?
This does not exhaust the content of the passage. It was not meant to do so. It is only a beginning ... forged in the love of a Father against the clank of a chain ... for us.
Ralph Milliron
Hopefully, a former Toad!
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