The Apostle Paul is going to have some stories to tell and it’s going to be fun listening to him recount his church planting experiences.

But one stands out.

And he couldn’t get them off his mind (1 Thes. 1:3)!

Yet Paul was sure they believed because of how they lived (v. 4).

The introduction to 1 Thessalonians feels like God took a photo, framed v. 3, hung it, and then said to us, “Look, this is how I want all believers to walk out their daily lives.”

If you do so, others won’t be able to get you off their mind because of these four things:

1)    Your work of faith.

We’re more credible when we live out our beliefs publicly. Making the truth visible and accessible will have its greatest impact when it becomes part of our daily routine.

2) Your labor of love.

Our best motivation for serving others generously in the name of Jesus will be our deep appreciation for what He’s done for us. It’s hard to not talk about the one you love most.

3) Your patience of hope.

The believer who stays on mission is going to face some misery. This is presented in Scripture as normal. But when the believer believes their message, they persist.

When someone is secure in who they are and remain true to what they believe, they possess a power of persuasion that’s hard to resist.

That’s why Paul reaffirms the believer’s true identity – in Christ v 1 – “…in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ.”

These believers were living out who they were in Christ and nothing was stopping them. If God be for us, who can be against us (Rom. 8:31-39)?

Yet it might be this fourth thing that made these believers stand out from so many others:

4) In the sight of God and our Father (v. 3).

I love how Paul made God personal, relational and a present possession.

It’s also powerful. If you believe God is present, your life will reflect that belief.

In preparation for a course I’m teaching, I came across a summary of this powerful little book of 1 Thessalonians by G. R. Harding Wood:

“The Christian who is expecting the return of the Lord Jesus has no room for: (1) Idols in his heart (1:9, 10); (2) Slackness in his service (2:9, 19); (3) Divisions in his fellowship (3:12, 13); (4) Depression in his mind (4:13–18); or (5) Sin in his life (5:23).”

Time is short and the more I ponder that picture God framed, the more intentional I want to live. And like Paul, I want to call it to remembrance every day.

Living in the sight of God and believing He could return at any moment has its benefits.

When the next picture is framed in heaven, I want to be among those who took part in  “turning the world upside down” because I lived what I profess to believe (Acts 17:1-9).

So, here’s my question for you and me: In each of the four places Paul highlighted in v. 3, what could you be more intentional about so others would believe that you believe?

I’d love to hear your response. Reply and let me know or jump into the community and share it on the post there. I read every one.

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