A FATHER’S ENCOURAGEMENT
1 Thessalonians 2:10-13 ESV
10 You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. 11 For you know how, like a father with his children, 12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
You can sense Paul’s heart for the believers at Thessalonica. Remember that Paul walked into this city not knowing a soul but left with a young church up and going. Now, he is writing to this church, reminding them of his relationship with them and encouraging their life with God.
I find it interesting that Paul describes his conduct while he was with the Thessalonians in very straightforward terms. He said that while he was with them, they witnessed, and God was also a witness that his conduct toward them was holy, righteous, and blameless. I don’t believe Paul was bragging. I believe he was pointing to his life as an example of how he wanted them to walk. There were no Christian churches, books, speakers, or any other visible example that Paul could point to. He needed these believers, most of whom had come from pagan backgrounds, to continue to follow his example of what a true believer looked like in the real world.
And Paul refers to his relationship with these believers as a father with his children. Having been a major part of these people coming to Christ, the relationship of father/ children does have a spiritual connection. Paul also lets us know how fathers are to act with their children. Fathers are to exhort, encourage, and charge. The NLT says pleaded, encouraged, and urged. The Weymouth translation says encouraging, cheering, and imploring. Other translations indicate urging, encouraging, and testifying. Nowhere do we get the indication that Paul was demeaning, berating, or criticizing these new believers. He was urging them, comforting them and sharing with them how they were to walk worthy of God.
As a father, I can understand wanting children to walk worthy. We want our children to represent the family well and to walk in such a way that the family name is esteemed, not shamed. This takes on an even greater significance when we think of the spiritual implications. We are to live in such a way that God is exalted, not disrespected. We are part of His Kingdom, a royal exalted Kingdom. And we have been called to bring glory to Him. This is a lifelong goal for all believers to walk worthy of God as an ambassador of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul was grateful to God for how the Thessalonians responded to the gospel. It is worth noting that Paul is not thanking the Thessalonians for their response but thanking God for their acceptance of the gospel. The Thessalonians received Paul’s message not as the word of men but as the word of God. That is a powerful statement. No wonder they made such progress as a church. No wonder their faith was noted throughout the area. When they received the message as the word of God, it became powerful in their lives. Paul said it was working in those who believed.
Paul loved this church and had these people in his heart. His encouragement to them lets us know what our Heavenly Father wants for us today.
APPLICATION
My takeaways from these verses are to examine how I live and conduct myself in front of God and others. How I respond to my natural and spiritual children. How can I walk worthy of God so that He is honored by my life? What is my response to God’s Word? How am I receiving His word into my life? What place does God’s Word occupy? These are probing thoughts and questions. However, we can face them with confidence that this life lived for God is not out of reach.
PRAYER
Dear Father, show me how I can walk before You and others in a way that brings honor to You and Your kingdom. Thank You that these are not unobtainable goals; all things are possible to the one who believes. I believe!