NOT SHAKEN OR STIRRED
1 THESSALONIANS 3:1-3
1 THESSALONIANS 3:1-3
1 Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone, 2 and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith, 3 that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this.
OBSERVATION:
With all due respect to James Bond 007, this is a different kind of shaken.
Paul, the author of 1 Thessalonians, sent Timothy to the church at Thessalonica. Timothy, who was a minister or servant of God, was sent with a specific purpose. He was sent to establish and encourage the church regarding their faith.
Timothy's mission was to help the church get stronger in their faith and continue to walk by faith. If anyone knew the importance of faith, it was Paul. Paul had quite a lot to say about the subject and proclaimed that we live by our faith.
Faith is how we come into a relationship with the Lord. We are saved by faith, and faith is how we please God. Faith in God is also the way to overcoming the darkness and problems we face in life.
Timothy was sent to strengthen the faith of the church so that they would not be shaken by the problems they were encountering. Timothy could not make their afflictions disappear, but by helping their faith, the impact of those problems would be offset. With stronger faith, the problems were minimized so that the church was not moved. Yes, there were problems, but they were not rattled, not shaken, not overcome.
APPLICATION:
No one enjoys problems, persecution, and pressure. But no one lives on this earth without them.
To observe some people, they never seem to have anything negative in their lives. But it's not that they are experiencing no problems; it's that they are not being shaken by the problems. Their faith in God enables them to stay steady and not be moved.
So, one of the best things we can do as believers is not try to live a problem-free life but to get stronger in our faith. Trying to live problem free will become very frustrating. We cannot control all the occurrences of life. But we can grow and become more established in our faith.
To be established and encouraged in your faith, keep reading your Bible. Spend time with the Lord in prayer and fellowship. Be around other people who have faith and be part of services where the Bible is proclaimed in faith. As you consistently do these things, you'll discover that problems have not disappeared, but your ability to face and overcome them will be greatly enhanced. And you’ll be no longer shaken.