“For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?” 1 Thess. 3:8-10
Devotional Thought For The Day
How important is it to you that you succeed in your work? Why do you consider it important? For many people success insures that they have ample income to fulfill their responsibilities to family and others, and perhaps provides them with hope that they will continue to be upwardly mobile, even more successful. For some success is a matter of pride and standing, demonstration that they are worth something personally, so that others must give them their due respect and admiration. There are many people who have little satisfaction from the fact that they succeed in the job they have; they consider it beneath their dignity or not rewarding enough of the good things of this world. Job satisfaction is a pretty weighty and important thing since we spend the bulk of our energy each day working, and we carry our attitudes about work into the rest of our lives. It is very sad to see the very negative impact that such dissatisfaction has on people. And if we live with such discontentment within ourselves we recognize how debilitating it is.
This matter of success and happiness was intensified in the apostle Paul. His work was to bring people to a knowledge of God, His gracious love, mercy, forgiveness, and His will that all be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. He linked success in this work – especially within the Thessalonian congregation, to life itself: “Now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord.” I’m certain that some people would consider this to be unwise and dangerous, since Paul’s “success” in this work didn’t depend entirely upon his efforts and labors. In fact, it was completely beyond his control, other than actually expending the effort to preach God’s Word of gracious love and to instruct others in all aspects of the blessedness of faith. It is actually God’s work that people come to faith and grow in faith, through His Word and by the power of the Holy Spirit. “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him Whom He has sent.” [John 6:29] “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” [Romans 10:17] “No one can say that Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.” [1 Cor. 12:3] And of course, people can and do reject the ministry of the Gospel, refuse to believe and be saved, and reject and oppose God’s servants. [Luke 13:34; Acts 13:46; 2 Tim. 4:14,15] Thus the great joy and thanksgiving to God that some believed and joined the fellowship of those who know and live in God’s redeeming and eternal love for us.
Now, the question can be asked in regard to those who have joined in the work that Paul began, as to what they consider to be success, and how thoroughly integrated the success of the Gospel is to their “life, joy, and happiness.” In that this work is often heartrending – we know the blessedness that we offer and are willing to provide, and yet so many refuse to believe, and so many believers have little interest in growing in faith, and many consider it their prerogative to oppose the work of God’s servants – many pastors and teachers within the church have to seek other things to give them “life” and joy and a sense of “success.” It is not hard to grasp the impact that this has upon the life of the church – when the pastors and leaders have no real heart in their work this justifies the lack of regard for spiritual growth in others, and emboldens their presumption that they are free to oppose God’s work not only in their own lives but also within the church. How many people would you judge there are who consider the success of the Gospel and of the church to be “life,” to be their highest value, the thing that really makes them joyful? And if you know people like this, what impact does the general lack of desire for spiritual riches even within the church have on them? Do you think that perhaps they weep over the church just as Jesus did over Jerusalem? We should ask ourselves whether or not we are contributing to such sorrow.
Paul was eager to “supply what was lacking in their faith.” Your pastor has the same desire. It compels his sermon writing and his preparation for Bible Class, it is how he views his ministry of confirmation [instruction of the youth], his counseling, and really every interaction he has with members of the church and with people he meets in the world. The real question for each of us is whether or not we recognize that we still have things that are “lacking” in our faith. Pastors do. They spend time every day growing in faith and knowledge of God’s love, and His gracious and blessed will for human life and being! Not just for themselves, but to better prepare them to provide the same blessings to others, those given into their charge. [Acts 20:28] And they recognize that they have no members who are perfect, who have no need to continue growing in faith. Hopefully, they are still eager to “supply” this, and haven’t had to replace this desire with some other definition of success in order just to live.
Paul understood that this ministry best took place “face to face.” I’m sure many Christians don’t realize the great sorrow that they create when they choose not to be present; they are thinking only of what brings them pleasure. I’m sure that many people believe that they can be “self-taught,” self-sufficient in spiritual growth. I doubt any of these people are truly vigilant in this; in fact, those whom I have met are much more diligent in self-delusion and masking themselves with superficial piety. Thankfully, God’s gracious mercy and forgiveness covers all of our weaknesses. But God does not will for us to continue in weakness, but to be strengthened and perfected in faith by His Word and His Spirit. Hopefully, we continue growing in this same desire and in our willingness to allow Him to do this work in us – through His servants. This does bring great joy to many people, and for some, it is their very life.
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, help us to learn more and more that faith and newness of life is our very life and being, the most precious treasure we have. Help us to define “success” more and more in terms of growing in faith and love. Forbid that we give up and substitute other things, worldly, earthly, and temporal things, as our joy and satisfaction. Thank You for bringing us to new life, and for Your commitment to supplying all that is lacking in our faith. Move us to eagerly receive what You will to give us. Amen.