Faithful Followers Fortify

“Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith: For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.” (1Th 3:7-8 AV)

Seeing other endure and succeed is often the motive that will help keep us heading in the right direction.  Paul wrote this letter from the city of Athens.  The book of Acts is not specific as to the trouble Paul encountered while working there.  He was deeply moved by the idolatry to the point he began to preach against it.  Acts chapter seventeen tells us of Paul’s dissertation against superstitious philosophy while meeting the thinkers atop Mars hill.  But there is no mention of any physical altercation Paul was asked to endure.  By his words here in this letter, we must assume there was great affliction and distress.  It could be that Paul was afflicted and distressed over the spiritual condition of the city of Athens, and in particular, his own countrymen.  Acts chapter seventeen states that Paul was moved that the city was given wholly to idolatry and the first place he went to was the synagogue.  This suggests idolatry seeped into Jewish tradition as well.  Paul was discouraged over the spiritual condition of a city and his fellow Hebrew, but it was the faith of the Thessalonians that motivated him to continue.

 There are several ways in which we can look at this passage.  We can look at it from the perspective of the church at Thessalonica.  We can look at it as an encouragement to be faithful because that faithfulness may be the only thing that is keeping the man of God in the battle.  We could look at it from the perspective of the future.  As there were converts in Thessalonica, there would be converts in Athens as well.  In fact, Acts seventeen tells us that was the case.  But there is another way in which we can look at this.  Paul chose to look at the success rather than the challenge.  Those who were lost wholly to idolatry far outnumbered those who would give themselves to Christ.  Sometimes, we gaze our attention on sheer numbers.  If we are not scoring more runs than we are leaving men on base, then we are happy.  However, if we leave more men on base than we score runs, we give up.

 Paul chose to look at the successes as motivation to continue.  The losses, although numerically more, meant less to him than those few who trusted in Christ.  If he was able, by the grace of God, to plant a church that still strove for the glory of God in Thessalonica, surely, he could in Athens.  There needs to be another application made here, too.  The man of God doesn’t want much.  He doesn’t need much.  But what he wants and what he needs is the faithfulness of God’s people.  There is more strength in that fact alone than having perfect health, financial security, or kind words.  Knowing that his labor was not in vain means all the world.  Even of the work isn’t all that big, as long as the people of God continue, no matter the number, that is all he needs.  As the man of God, get your eyes off of the failures and onto the successes.  Easier said than done.  We obsess over the losses.  And the Devil knows this.  Just because there are a few that fall by the wayside, there are far more who do not.  Take comfort in that and continue on for the LORD.