We’ve got your daily encouragement, written by Travis Pate.
Bible Reading:
“We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.”2 Thessalonians 1:3-4
Word:
We live in interesting times. I was just telling a friend yesterday that it’s interesting how much people want to tear each other down. It’s becoming an epidemic. Rather than building someone up or being happy for someone else’s success, people today are doing exactly the opposite. They would rather see a person stumble or fail because it makes them feel better about themselves. We should not be like those people. We should be builders.
In his letter to the church at Thessalonica, Paul tells the church that he should always be thankful for them. He says this because, 1. He sees their faith growing., and 2. The love that they have for each other is increasing.
Paul had previously planted the church at Thessalonica. He had a vested interest in the people there and was excited to see and hear that they were doing the things that he had taught them. Paul truly cared about the people that he had ministered to in the early days of the church.
We may not be called to be a church planter, but we do have opportunities where we can share our lives and faith with others. We can teach, coach, mentor, or disciple others. By caring about others and loving others, our desire should be to see others accept Jesus and grow in faith and love. This is what discipleship is truly about. Jesus told his disciples as he was leaving earth, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matt 28:19-20)
We have a responsibility to the next generation. We know that God wants the saving message of his son’s death on the cross to reach others. As we share our faith and pour into others, our desire should be to see them grow in their faith and their love for others, just like Paul In Thessalonica. We want to produce good fruit by planting seeds on fertile ground. “The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.”(1 Cor 3:8-9). When we are faithful in our work, God is faithful in producing a harvest that we can be thankful for.
Prayer:
God, you have called us to be planters of seed and we know that through our obedience to you that you will produce a harvest that we cannot even imagine. Help us to be mindful of those who have come to faith in you, and to be thankful for them and encouraging to them. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Skillwork:
Are there people in your past that you have had the opportunity to teach, coach, mentor, or disciple? How are they doing with their walk with God? If you haven’t checked on them in a while, send them a text or make a call to see how they are doing. If you haven’t had that opportunity, think about someone in your life that you could begin discipling. Shoot them an encouraging text.
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