I Thessalonians 2:7-8
But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.
I Thessalonians 2:19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy.
I Thessalonians 3:9 For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God.
How often do we actually feel this way about the people we are reaching out to and spending our time with?
When Paul writes to the Thessalonians, he is writing to real people, people who he cares deeply about, you can almost feel his pain and longing to be with the people he is writing too.
This passage made me think about what it means to "affectionately desire" to be with people and be ready to share not only the gospel, but ourselves.
God is love, we distinguish ourselves among the world because of Christ in us.. which is apparent through our Love!
We are the only real Love that the world will ever know.
Love requires us to be vulnerable, to be "ready to share ourselves"
If we are the only real Love some people will ever know, we cannot afford to hold back ourselves.
Be ready to share the gospel, and along with that, your very life, which is no longer your own anyway, but has belonged to God since the day you were saved!
Sharing our lives, essentially means, sharing God.
He is our life.
He is our reality.
1John3:16 (nkjv)
ReplyDeleteThis is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
1John3:18 (nlt)
Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.
2Cor12:15 (nkjv)
And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls.
1John5:3-4 (niv)
This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
So good :)
thanks