Faith Check
1 Thessalonians 3:1-6 NLT
1 Finally, when we could stand it no longer, we decided to stay alone in Athens, 2 and we sent Timothy to visit you. He is our brother and God’s co-worker in proclaiming the Good News of Christ. We sent him to strengthen you, to encourage you in your faith, 3 and to keep you from being shaken by the troubles you were going through. But you know that we are destined for such troubles. 4 Even while we were with you, we warned you that troubles would soon come—and they did, as you well know. 5 That is why, when I could bear it no longer, I sent Timothy to find out whether your faith was still strong. I was afraid that the tempter had gotten the best of you and that our work had been useless.
6 But now Timothy has just returned, bringing us good news about your faith and love. He reports that you always remember our visit with joy and that you want to see us as much as we want to see you.
Paul would never have been considered as a man who sugarcoated things. He was straight to the point with no pretense or flattery or flowery words. And in these six verses, Paul is concerned about one primary thing regarding the Thessalonians: how their faith is doing.
Paul sent Timothy to check on the faith of the young church in Thessalonica. The fact that Timothy was sent to check on their faith indicates that faith can be discerned. If faith is present or not present is evidently apparent. If faith were some nebulous mystical force, sending someone to check the faith level of the church would have been wasted effort.
Paul sent Timothy not just to check on the faith of the church but also to strengthen and encourage their faith. Again, revealing to us that faith can not only be discerned, it can be made stronger. Faith is not a fixed asset; it can grow and get stronger. And faith can be encouraged. If negative words can cause someone to be discouraged, then positive, faith-filled words can cause faith to be encouraged. This is one reason that church is important. If we are doing things right, the faith of people can be stronger and more encouraged by a church service. We are not simply filling up an hour; we are helping faith grow stronger.
Paul wanted to check on and encourage the faith of the church to keep the church from being too shaken by the troubles they were encountering. So faith, when strengthened and encouraged, can help a person stay steady in the face of difficult circumstances. Paul knew and had warned the church that trouble would come. The purpose of their faith being stronger was not to keep trouble away but to keep trouble from wrecking their lives with the Lord. Stronger faith means the ability to withstand trouble and fight off the work of the enemy and his temptation to leave the Lord and just quit.
Timothy returned to Paul and brought back word that the faith and love of the Thessalonian church were still intact. This news blessed Paul. Timothy did not bring back word that the trouble and persecution of the church at Thessalonica had stopped. He did not talk about how well they were doing in their business ventures or even how their marriages were doing. Although these are all good things, I am sure Timothy shared some details that Paul was not mentioning, but it was their faith and love that Paul was most concerned about. If we think about it, strong faith and strong love will have a positive impact on all areas of life and relationships. No, Paul wanted to know about their faith. When the Lord looks at us, He is not as concerned with what kind of car we drive or how many followers we have on social media. The things the Lord looks for will be very similar to the heart expressed by Paul. How is our faith and our love? If these two things are strong, many other areas in our lives are going to be on a good trajectory.
Prayer
Lord, I purpose to have my faith grow stronger, and my love for You and people increase. When You do a faith check, may I bless you with my faith and love.