1 THESSALONIANS 2:8 

“Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.”

I love Paul’s use of the phrase “Having so fond an affection for you.” That is literally one word in the original Greek, and it’s only used ONE time in the Bible. Right here! Whenever I see that in God’s Word, I ask myself why the Holy Spirit inspired that word just once. Just interesting to me.  

But anyway, this word means to “be affectionately desirous.” Now, what does that mean? Remember, Paul is writing to the church folks in Thessalonica, so this has no amorous intention. He is simply telling them that he loves them. He was willing to lay down his life to share the gospel to them. He wants them to know how precious they are to him for the cause of Christ.

APPLICATION

I know you love your children. I know you have strong affections for them. But do you love them as much as God does? Nope! Not possible. Our earthly love is no match for God’s love. We just think we love our children. No matter how much we love them, we still come up short on the love scale compared to God.

Let me ask you this. Do you have any spiritual children? Have you “birthed” anyone into the kingdom? If you have, then you have this same kind of affectionate desiring Paul had for the Thessalonians. You want them grow in Christ. You want them to produce fruit. You want them to… That’s God’s love, and only He can produce it.

Has God given you a burden for someone to reach for Christ? Go for it. Just think how you will feel when they surrender to Him. You will have this deep desire only possible through God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Lover of my soul, I praise You for loving me so deeply. Give me the same depth of affection for those You allow me to touch. Let Your love flow through me.

1 THESSALONIANS 2:7

“But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mothertenderly cares for her own children.”

There is a word in these two verses that is translated differently here than any other place in the New Testament. “Gentle” is translated elsewhere as babes, infants or childish. What is Paul trying to say here and why did the translators use “gentle” here?  Paul is simply saying he came to the Thessalonians not in boldness and harshness, but like a baby or infant would present themselves, tender and gentle. Then he goes on to compare that word to how a mother cares for a child she is nursing. What a beautiful picture.

So how are you approaching people? My brother-in-law and Pastor understood this. He always approached others in this fashion. That’s why EVERYONE believed he was their best friend. They all felt accepted and loved by him. He was always so kind and giving of his time. Just like a nursing mother cannot rush the feeding of her child, Wayne would take the time, even when he didn’t have it, to talk with someone who asked. And he did give his whole life to the preaching of the Gospel.

APPLICATION

How in the world do we teach our children this principle? There is only one way, which we seem to see a lot. We have to model it for them. If we aren’t patient and gentle with them, they will not be with others. As they see us live out this principle, they will learn how to emulate it also. It will become part of their DNA too.  

My wife has had the joy and privilege the past several months to care for our granddaughter three to four days a week. She has modeled gentleness to her. When she gets frustrated or irritable, my wife gently corrects her. By doing that consistently, it has been amazing to watch our granddaughter calm down. Gentleness is more caught than taught.

The next time you start to get aggravated with someone, stop and apply this principle. You are doing it, not only because the Lord tells you to, but also because the next generation is watching. They will take mental notes. And the next time they encounter someone who needs to be treated gently they will have the image of you doing the same. Now that’s leaving a legacy!

I am not the most, gentle person, Lord.  Teach me gentleness.  Teach me kindness.  Let my children and others see that in me.

1 THESSALONIANS 2:6 

“nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority.”

Some people just have to be in the limelight. They desire glory. They want to be worshipped and adored. When they aren’t, they feel useless. That was NOT the case with Paul. Here he tells the Thessalonians that, even though they deserved to be revered as apostles, he did not expect or demand that. Humility – that was his desire.

You may have that tendency to seek attention. Maybe you crave it. Our goal as Christians should be to deflect all the glory towards Jesus. I know that there is nothing good in me except Him. Anything I do worthy of praise is the direct result of Him working in and through me. 

APPLICATION

We, as parents, love to praise our children. There is nothing wrong with that. But we should never put them on a pedestal of praise. Our children cannot ever think they deserve praise. Now hear me out. When they begin to think they are worthy of praise or are better than others because we praise them so much, then we have created a little monster.

Children need to learn how to lose. Our society today gives trophies to everyone for just showing up. Undeserved praise only leads to wrong expectations and lofty self-images. Let your children experience failing because sometimes that is the best lesson of all.

Are you guilty of seeking praise? Do you want to be bowed down to? That attitude is not of God. That is a fleshly attitude born of our own sin nature. That is what got Satan kicked out of heaven. He wanted to be God. Don’t fall for the same old trap.

Lord, I bow to You today. Remind me when others praise me that You are the only one worthy of that praise. Help me point to You when any praise comes my way.

1 THESSALONIANS 2:5

“For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed-God is witness-“

Have you ever known someone who was a master of manipulation? You could swear butter was flowing from their mouth. They were full of compliments and praises, but they were all being said with a personal motive. These people will use people to get what they want. 

Paul is saying, “That is NOT who we were. We never tried to butter you up to get more of anything.” Paul’s motives were pure. He only wanted to see the Thessalonians live for Christ. He only wanted to see them find the freedom he had in the Lord Jesus. He was only thinking of them.

APPLICATION

Our children have to be taught this. Why? Because we are naturally selfish, self-centered people. We are users, by default. We will use anyone to get ahead. That word “greed” in today’s verse means “to have more, get one more.” Someone asked Jay Rockefeller, one of the wealthiest men in America at the time, how much money was enough. He said, “One more dollar.”

So, teach your children to think in another way. Teach them to think like Paul. Think of others. Our motivation should be to bankrupt ourselves for the sake of others. We should be willing to give it all for Jesus. That means you have to show them how that looks by your behavior and lifestyle. Ouch! Yep, once again, they learn best by watching you.

Have you manipulated someone to get what you want? Have you purposely used someone to get ahead? Repent! Ask for forgiveness from God and the individual. Do all you can to make it right with them. If you are prone to do that, ask the Lord to show you His way. Ask Him to give you His heart for others.

Father, forgive me when I revert back to my old selfish nature. Show me how to sacrifice for the sake of those around me who need to hear the good news. Let me always think of others before myself.

1 THESSALONIANS 2:4

“but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts.”

Have you ever been troubled by how to please God? After all, He is God. His standard is pretty high. He must expect a lot. So, how can we possibly please Him. We are just flesh and blood, struggling every day to make it.

Paul tells us how right here. We speak the gospel, not fearing men. If we aren’t concerned about what people think about our walk with Christ, we are one step closer to pleasing Him. We can’t please God and men. It’s just not possible. And if we have to choose, there really is no choice.

APPLICATION

Do you want your children to please you? Of course, you do. That’s natural. But if you have taught them to love Jesus and they have surrendered their life to Him, then pleasing the Lord is what you should be desiring. “Well, Carl, that means they will please me too.” Are you sure about that?

What if pleasing the Lord meant packing up and moving to another country? What if pleasing the Lord meant choosing a career outside your family business? What if pleasing the Lord went against YOUR plans for your child? Pleasing the Lord is not always the easiest choice, but it is always the right choice.

What do you need to do today to please Him? There may be something you know He has asked of you, but it doesn’t fit into your plans. Obey Him. Remember, joy never precedes obedience. Obeying Him not only pleases the Father. It also will bring you joy.

I want to please You, Lord. Sometimes that requires me to do things I really don’t want to do. Today I will surrender my will to Yours.

1 THESSALONIANS 2:3

“For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit;” 

Today’s verse includes a word that is so important to our faith in the Lord.  It’s the word “exhortation.” But it doesn’t just mean to exhort and encourage. Oh, there is so much more. The Greek word is paráklēsis, which is an “intimate call” that someone personally gives to deliver God’s verdict. It’s a holy urging used of the Lord to directly motivate and inspire believers to carry out His plan.

The Holy Spirit is called the Paraclete, which comes directly from this word.  Now, I know I am getting a little deep today, but you need to understand this. This is why Paul can say “our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit.” It’s from God through the Holy Spirit, who cannot contain any error or impurity or deceit.

APPLICATION

So, let me ask you, “how do you exhort someone?” Is your exhorting given to you by the Holy Spirit? Or do you simply spout off your own exhortation? Teach your children to speak truth given to them solely by the Paraclete. He will speak through them, if they will let Him. He will be the one to encourage someone to give their lives to Christ. 

We must teach our children to be encouragers. They need to learn to “come alongside” others. They need to be a friend to the friendless, a comforter to the hurting. And that is possible only through the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

Do you struggle encouraging others? Well, perhaps you are doing it out of your own strength. That can be draining physically, emotionally and spiritually. Surrender today to the Holy Spirit’s power in your life. He will perform the impossible through a willing vessel.

Chief Exhorter, use me to bring encouragement and comfort to others. Show me those around me who need Your words. Let me be use today to put someone on the right path.

1 THESSALONIANS 2:2

“but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition.”

It’s easy to talk to people who like you and welcome you, but it is more difficult to do that with people whom you know don’t like you. Paul had faced this issue many times. Here he reminds the Thessalonians what had happened to him in Philippi. 

Do you need a reminder? Read Acts 16:22-24. Beaten, jailed and put in stocks. That’s a pretty good sign that they weren’t liked. But they ended up singing in prison and watching the jailer and his family come to Christ. How cool is that? In the midst of pain and suffering there was joy.

APPLICATION

Teaching our children to persevere under hard times is so important. When others ridicule or make fun of them, they have to remember to pray for them. When God opens the door to share the gospel, they need to be ready. You see, our response to those who seek to harm us can either drive the further from the gospel or draw them to it.

When the jailer saw Paul’s response, he was drawn to Jesus. He wanted to know how to get saved. That still happens today. They expect us to act like the world and get mad or angry. When we don’t, they want to know why. Teach your children this truth and make sure they are ready to respond.

Are you? Are you ready in season and out of season to present the truth? Don’t miss the opportunities. When your enemies attack, ask God how to share with them. Remember you are representing Jesus, not yourself. It is through His power you can share with them His love.

Lord, give me the peace to share when attacked. Give me the words You would have me share. I trust You to protect me in the process