Sometimes I feel like I'm in a transitional season of life. My children are all getting older and becoming less dependent on the need for supervision and intervention on my part. But even as they age, my fatherly instincts remain strong. I like to know where they are, what they're doing, and how it's going for them.
On the weekends, my son has agreed to volunteer for a few weeks with a ministry that's a little over two hours away. He's been driving for more than a year and owns his own car, so I don't have any problem with the thought of him driving there. I also approve of the ministry he's volunteering with.
But each Friday as he makes the two hour drive, I have a few requests for him. I want him to call or text me when he leaves, text again at the halfway point when he stops to get a coffee, and then call or text one more time to let me know he has arrived safely. And if he forgets, I have a secret weapon. The car insurance he uses has a transmitter in his car that tells me his location, and I have no hesitancy accessing that information. My love for him as his father doesn't diminish when he isn't within arms reach.
That kind of love was something the Apostle Paul expressed for the Thessalonian church as well. Though he was distant from them at the time he wrote this letter, he wanted to know how they were doing, and it pained him greatly to be forced to wait and wonder about their spiritual welfare. In 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:5, Paul shows us what it's like to demonstrate genuine love from a distance, as well as some of the challenges that can come with doing so.
I. You might be hindered from showing concern (2:17-20)
“But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy.”
When Paul and Silas first visited Thessalonica, they were blessed with a wide open opportunity to proclaim the gospel and train new believers in Christ. From the outside perspective, it might not have looked like a great opportunity, but the Lord made great use of Paul and Silas' faithfulness to proclaim the gospel in that context.
I'm sure Paul wished he could have remained with these young believers longer, but as he stated in these verses, he was "torn away" from them. For the sake of his safety, the brothers in that city encouraged and assisted him with the process of moving on to another city. There were many people in Thessalonica that wanted to bring harm to Paul and Silas, and those who shared Paul's faith in Christ didn't want to see that harm come to fruition, so they helped him safely leave the city.
It seems clear that Paul didn't want to be away very long, however. He tells us here that he desired to see them face to face, and he attempted more than once to make that happen, but he was directly hindered by Satan in those attempts. This is a useful reality to contemplate if we're at a point of spiritual maturity where we're actively attempting to invest in the growth of others. Satan intentionally and fervently tries to thwart the proclamation of the gospel and the discipleship of those who come to faith in Christ. How does he do that?
Two of the most common tactics Satan and his demons seem to employ are direct attack and indirect deception. There are many ways those tactics can be utilized. He attacks believers through other people or through governments. He seems to have the ability to attack people in regard to physical health as well. He also deceives weak and worldly minds, and promotes division and false doctrines. I don't know which of these issues Paul may have been experiencing, but it wouldn't surprise me if Satan was hindering his visit through one of these approaches.
Recently National Geographic ran an article about the Alaskan bull moose. The males of the species battle for dominance during the fall breeding season, literally going head-to-head with antlers crunching together as they collide. Often the antlers, their only weapon, are broken. That ensures defeat. The heftiest moose, with the largest and strongest antlers, triumphs. Therefore, the battle fought in the fall is really won during the summer, when the moose eat continually. The one that consumes the best diet for growing antlers and gaining weight will be the heavyweight in the fight. Those that eat inadequately sport weaker antlers and less bulk. There is a lesson here for us. Spiritual battles await. Satan will choose a season to attack. Will we be victorious, or will we fall? Much depends on what we do now—before the wars begin. The bull-moose principle: Enduring faith, strength, and wisdom for trials are best developed before they’re needed. -Craig Brian Larson
The point being, if you're attempting to invest in the spiritual walk of others, particularly if they aren't in close proximity to you, don't be surprised if at times you're hindered from showing concern. But when those hinderances come, make sure you're prepared. Remember the power of Christ that is offered to you through prayer. Petition the Lord. Seek His intervention, and trust Him to demolish spiritual strongholds of ungodly opposition. He does it every day.
II. Accept the role and reality of affliction (3:1-4)
“Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. ”
During our college years, a friend of mine told me about a conversation he had with an acquaintance in the library. The man he was speaking to was studying vocational ministry and had in mind that he was going to be hired for a position immediately upon graduation. He went on and on about how wonderful the imaginary job was going to be. High salary, low hours, low expectations, every perk, and just about zero affliction. After hearing that man's expectations, my friend commented to me, "I don't think he will ever get hired with that mindset." To my knowledge, he didn't.
I think it's fair to say that affliction isn't something we tend to be fond of. Sometimes affliction comes in the form of a health need. Other times it can be at the hands of an oppressor. Usually, it's the result of forces we cannot control exerting their power and influence on us in order to prevent us from doing what we're called to do.
In the gospels, Jesus warned us that there would be seasons when we would experience affliction in this world because of the world's hatred of our relationship with Him. Paul apparently conveyed that warning to the Thessalonians as well. He knew there would be people in that city who would treat them poorly, and he wanted them to be prepared for the inevitable.
But even though he knew it was likely they would be treated that way, he still wanted to know how they were faring. Was their faith growing stronger in the midst of persecution? How harsh were they being treated? Did any of these newly professing believers abdicate their faith in Christ under pressure?
Paul tells us that when he couldn't stand the thought of wondering any longer, he sent Timothy to them to check on them to confirm that they were doing OK. Timothy's job was to bolster their faith by "establishing" them and "exhorting" them. This way they wouldn't be thin-skinned, weak-willed, surface-level people. The investments being made in them would help facilitate their ongoing maturity in Christ.
It may not feel like it in the moment, but adversity can be a gift that the Lord utilizes to strengthen our faith and deepen our reliance on Him. It's like a gift we don't come to appreciate until much later after it has been given.
““Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.””
III. Follow up on the investment you've made in the lives of others (3:5)
“For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.”
Have you ever spent time working on something only to discover that your efforts were undone by the carelessness of someone else? When I was a teenager, I visited a Christian bookstore to do some reading and possibly make a purchase. I ended up buying a copy of a Christian music magazine that I started reading as I was leaving the building. I didn't know it at the time, but while I was in the store, a city worker poured concrete to fix a broken section of the sidewalk. The section he fixed was right outside the door, and he didn't block it off. When I walked outside, I turned left and immediately stepped right in it. It was a genuine accident, but I felt bad. His efforts and labor had been wasted.
Before Paul heard Timothy's glowing report of the Thessalonians' faith, he wondered if his time and investment in them might have been in vain. He wondered if the pressures of persecution got to them, influencing them to return to the faithless lives they had lived before. His curiosity about their well-being was probably keeping him up at night, but I'm sure he was quite relieved to hear they were doing well.
Discipleship is a process. We become disciples of Christ the moment we trust in Him, but the process of growth we experience takes place over the course of a lifetime. I am truly grateful for the people God has put in my life who bother to check in on me from time to time. Their follow up on the investment they've made in me really makes a difference. Even as I mention this, I can picture the faces of the friends who have done this for me with the most regularity.
If you've come to faith in Christ, the Lord doesn't want to see the investment that's been made in you wasted. He doesn't want it to have been in vain. He makes it clear in His word that your ongoing development as a Christian is something He values.
"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 3:18a)
"Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity," (Hebrews 6:1a)
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5)
Would we be willing to ask the Lord to increase our faith today? Just as Paul was demonstrating genuine love for the Thessalonians from a distance, the Lord demonstrates His love for us. He demonstrates it in His ongoing concern for our well-being and growth. Honor His concern for you by pressing on in faith regardless of the adversity you may be required to endure.
© John Stange, 2020
