Being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves. – 1 Thessalonians 2:8
It is easy to get into a routine of living on good intentions. You intend to be a better Christian one day. You expect to get right with God one day. You intend to share the gospel with a friend one day. But somehow that day never comes.
1 Thessalonians confronts us with the urgency of our commission from Jesus Christ. Our lives are passing. Christ is coming. We do not have forever to fulfill our calling.
All around us are people who have never seen the glory of Christ. And the Bible says, “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12).
God could have sent an angel to each person with the good news. Instead, He chose to use “vessels of clay”—people like us—to proclaim Christ to a dying world. God has placed people around you who do not know Him, and you are called to share His love with them.
Can we rise above the desire for comfort and approval to fulfill our calling as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ? Is it possible for us to love Jesus Christ more than we love comfort in this culture that constantly promotes and pampers self?
That’s hard. And if it is hard for one Christian, is it possible for a whole church to overcome the impulse that seeks our own comfort and the approval of others?
Thankfully, the church in Thessalonica shows us that it can happen. The simple answer is “faith.”
Have you told someone the good news about Jesus lately? Why not today?
