(Read 1 Thessalonians 1:2-4)
God’s love is abundant. It’s evident from a friend’s hug to a loved one’s tears. We might think no, no, no, this is our love, but God’s love permeates every relationship we have. The clay pot can’t decide what to be on its own; the potter creates it for the specific purpose He has in mind.
We are brought into a relationship with God when He reveals Himself to us. It’s only then when we draw nearer to Him. It’s then when we are called into action. It’s then when He works through us for His purposes. On the surface, people might witness the benefits of kindness, generosity, and goodwill. For believers of Jesus Christ, this runs so much deeper. God’s love isn’t just about goodness; it’s sacrificial love, denying oneself without recognition or gain for the benefit of this world and the world to come. Non-believers don’t see the transitional, multi-dimensional character of God’s love.
We always thank God for all of you, making mention of you constantly in our prayers. We recall, in the presence of our God and Father, your work produced by faith, your labor motivated by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 1:2-3
1 Thessalonians was written by Paul in 51 AD, during his second missionary journey. He stayed in Corinth then and wrote the letter to encourage and strengthen the young church in Thessalonica. Paul had been forced to leave Thessalonica after only a few months due to pressure from the Jewish authorities. However, he was very fond of the Thessalonian church and was concerned about their well-being. The city was a central hub for travel and commerce. In addition to persecution, Paul addressed several issues faced by the Thessalonian church, including misunderstandings about the second coming of Christ and sexual immorality. His letter encouraged the Thessalonians to continue to grow in their faith and to live holy lives.
As one of the earliest books of the New Testament, 1 and 2 Thessalonians provides its readers with a valuable glimpse into the early church’s history, challenges, and experiences. More importantly, it is a letter full of encouragement and hope for Christians then, now, and in time to come.
In a previous devotional, I wrote about a good friend who has put his free time on hold for a project he’s working on at our home. He’s an amazingly gifted man in terms of his talents and his faith. I understand his passion for doing what he does, but the amount of sacrifice, patience, and love he exhibits is mind-blowing. On a run, I thought about this and heard God talking to me. “That’s my work through him,” I felt God telling me.
Despite the number of times we’ve thanked our friend (D) and the things we’ve offered, he keeps saying, “No, thank you.” His generous service is fueled by something much larger and more personal than his love for us. It’s an outpouring of God’s love by way of the selfless acts of a loving friend. I looked skyward to God as these thoughts cruised through my head and I recognized that this work and labor can only be produced by faith expressed in love. And my stream of consciousness didn’t stop there, it went wider. God’s love is as wide as the heavens are to the earth. Whatever we see in our home and community is just a sliver of what is going on elsewhere in this world and what we’ll eventually see in the world to come.
We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people. For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true.
1 Thessalonians 1:4-5
Through this verse, Paul affirmed to the Thessalonians (and to us) to remember that they/we are chosen, special, and loved. When times are tough, as God’s chosen, we receive God’s special blessings. It emphasizes the importance of gratitude, prayer, and the virtues of faith, hope, and love in the Christian life, all of which are rooted in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
At the end of my run that day, I interrupted a neighbor busily weed-whacking his grass near the street. We chatted as I cooled down. He said, “Can I take your picture?” Huh, I thought. Sure thing. (J) continued, “I don’t say things I don’t mean. I have to tell you that you are such a positive, motivating source of inspiration to me.” Meanwhile, I’m thinking, wait, that’s what I feel about you. This guy is a devoutly Christian man with a wonderful, deeply spiritual Christian wife and son. He is on the retirement side of a very eventful and, at times, hostile career. “I’ve been in places where you can’t walk without fear of stepping on a pipe bomb or where people aren’t shooting at you, and here is this 61-year-old running or biking up this hill and all over the place every day. No bombs or guns are going off around here, I need to get off my butt and stop feeling like I can’t move.”
I almost ran right past (J) because I had to get back to work after my run, but I hadn’t talked with him in a while. It turns out that he was having a rough day. There are struggles that people live with every day that are hidden scars. Except for how they may affect our behavior, hidden scars are only known to the one going through them. Paul’s writings pointed out that while we will never understand how deep someone’s scars are, we do know that brothers and sisters in Christ are chosen people of God by His love.
Just like my friend (D), (J) brings the Good News to the world around Him by the power and assurance of the Holy Spirit. When he’s not lifting others by his words, he’s doing it with his presence and work.
During some quiet time reading the day after talking with (J), I read about the best and only approach to walking through a minefield. There’s no, “I don’t want to listen, I’m doing it my way.” The only way to survive going through one is by obeying and following the instructions of the one who knows the map. Only God knows the map.
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
Ephesians 2:4
Our assurance of being chosen and loved by God highlights the role of God’s grace in our faith journey. Every one of us has been given this immeasurable gift, even though none of us deserve it. God’s plan for our lives includes easy streets as well as zig-zags, steep hills, and drop-offs. Not only has God assured us of His company on our walk, but His grace also puts answers, solutions, and the right people in our lives at the right time for us to stay on the right path.
All Scripture reminds believers to remember that we are chosen by God and that He has a good plan for us. We are all loved and valued by God. Our faith and conversion are not a result of chance or extra work on our part but rather God’s divine plan. God’s grace came not simply with words but also with power and deep conviction. My friends (J) and (D) are just two of many friends who share in the glory of God’s family. Why? Because they are brothers of Christ and because we share the same Father. All of God’s chosen are members of the same family. God’s love becomes our love to build, encourage, weep, and pull.
“It is not what I do that matters, but what a sovereign God chooses to do through me. God does not want worldly successes, He wants me. He wants my heart in submission to Him. Life is not just a few years to spend on self-indulgence and career advancement. It is a privilege, a responsibility, a stewardship to be lived according to a much higher calling, God’s calling. This alone gives true meaning to life.”
– Elizabeth Dole
Key Applications:
- You are loved by God. This is the foundation of everything else in the Christian life. God loves us unconditionally, no matter what we have done or what we are going through. Does your worship life show this? Is your public life a reflection of being loved unconditionally by God? Think of ways you can show this more!
- Here are some other ways we can demonstrate what a “Chosen” one of God looks like to the world:
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- Obey God’s commands. Because God loves us, he wants what is best for us. His commands are for our good and for our protection. We should strive to obey him in all things.
- Share the gospel with others. Because we are God’s special people, we have a responsibility to share his good news with others. We can do this through our words and actions and by living lives that are a witness to his love.
- Live a holy life. We are called to be holy and pleasing to God. This means that we should turn away from sin and live in a way that is consistent with his teachings.
Where else in your life can you live out the teachings of Christ? Look for next week’s Devotion.