Valuing Spiritual Gain
2 Thessalonians 3:1-5
‘Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honoured wherever it goes, just as when it came to you. Pray, too, that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a believer. But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. And we are confident in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we commanded you. May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.’ (NLT)
We have a bird’s eye view of the dramatic birth of the church at Thessaloniki in Acts 17:
• Some Jews from the synagogue there were the first to believe in Jesus as Messiah
• A great many of the Greeks there, including a number of leading women, also resolved to join The Way
• Other Jews were opposed to this and collected a mob who set the city in an uproar, complaining to the authorities, “These people who have been turning the world upside down have come here also….saying there is another king named Jesus.”
• At least two of the new disciples from Thessaloniki later joined Paul on his ministry team, see Acts 20:4.
In his first letter to the Thessalonians Christians we read more of Paul’s deep love for them following this fruitful first mission. Paul writes as a loving father, urging and encouraging them, and longing to see them again. We feel his joy on receiving news from Timothy that these disciples have remained firm in their faith, “How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we feel. Before our Good because of you?”
As disciples of Jesus amidst a society that values temporal gain above spiritual gain, we can identify with the key verses for today. So how can we respond?
• The Holy Spirit changes the spiritual atmosphere in a place whenever we pray and proclaim the gospel there, but demonic forces are also aroused and backlash is not a surprise. Let’s pray that our prayers and words will provoke a turning upside down of unhealthy spiritual culture in our own contexts!
• We can pray for all those who have helped us in our walk with God: that they will make more disciples through spreading the good news of Jesus and that they will know protection in trouble and persecution.
• We can grow in confidence and courage, because as we continue to abide in Jesus, live in community and obey his great commission, the Lord will strengthen and protect us.
Let’s echo Paul’s apostolic prayer:
🙏 “May the Lord lead our hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.”
- Catherine Horton