Our next series is about keeping going: In the world cup "hangover" and winter dragging on, many folk are discouraged and demotivated. How do we keep going?
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2 We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. 3 We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 1Thessalonians1:2-3
Paul loves triplets - his most famous one is in 1Cor13 - "Now these three remain: Faith, Hope and Love and the greatest is Love"
The Thessalonian congregation had experienced resistance, suffering and hardship but Paul was proud of them. They had kept going. In his intro he unpacks the degrees of their work and motivation.
The degrees of work are: work, labour and endurance. The Greek for these words is interesting: The word for "WORK" is the common Greek word much like the English "work." The word for "LABOUR" can also mean "beating the breast with grief" and "trouble" and the word for ENDURANCE implies a "long suffering", a "steadfast patience" and a "marathon event."
"But I thought being a Christian guaranteed an easy life!"
I have news for you! Paul makes it clear that the Thessalonians experienced their faith journey as common work (which can be drudgery), heartbreaking labour and marathon endurance. This is part and parcel of the journey and we should not dig our heels in.
The good news is that there is Grace at each phase of the journey. There are gifts that God pours into our hearts by the working of His Spirit. These gifts motivate us and keep us going.
Firstly we are motivated by FAITH - we work for things we cannot always see (until we look back...) It is our belief in the goodness of God that spurs us on. But when things get tougher we are constrained by the LOVE of Christ, we think of how He went to the cross for us and our love for Him keeps us going. Finally, when things get really tough, it is the HOPE that this world does not have the final say that keeps us going.
If keeping going is a struggle for you, draw on Faith, Love and Hope.
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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
