When partnering with your family to know, love, and follow Jesus, we strive to create and share content filtered by the Head-Heart-Hands model.
Head: the knowledge of God and His Word | Heart: the personal connection from scripture | Hands: a missional mindset
HEAD
Second Thessalonians is Paul’s second letter to the church of Thessalonica. Some of the issues he addressed in his first letter had gotten worse so he wrote another letter to encourage the church, clear up misunderstandings, and give a challenge. In the first chapter, he tells the church how proud he is of them for their endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships they are suffering. The Romans, Greeks, and possibly Jews had ramped up their persecution of followers of Jesus. Christians were suffering in all kinds of ways simply for believing in Jesus. Paul says that God will show His justice to those who are persecuting His church. He also says God will make those suffering worthy of His Kingdom because of their suffering and that He will provide rest. He ends this chapter by saying:
"And so we keep on praying for you, that our God will make you worthy of the life to which he called you. And we pray that God, by his power, will fulfill all your good intentions and faithful deeds. Then everyone will give honor to the name of our Lord Jesus because of you, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the undeserved favor of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ." 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
He points us back to what matters in the end, honoring our Lord Jesus.
HEART
It is hard for me to really understand what the early church went through in regard to persecution. We don’t have to worry about being physically hurt because of our belief in Jesus. We may be laughed at and made fun of, but our lives are not in danger because we are Christians. What assurance in Jesus the early church had to have to withstand such suffering! I would hope that I would have the same confidence in who Jesus is to keep my faith while being persecuted. Even though we’re not physically persecuted, God still calls us to live a life worthy of the Gospel. The beauty of that calling is that God has already done everything. The Gospel is about what Christ has already done for us on the cross, not about what we can do. We don’t have to do anything to earn God’s love and we can’t do anything to lessen His love. We just rest in Him and approach life from a viewpoint of God’s grace. We can pray the same prayers Paul prayed for ourselves and our loved ones. We can love and serve people boldly in our daily lives.
HANDS
Paul was such a great encourager. He saw the church was suffering and wrote letters to offer hope. Who can you pray for and encourage today? Maybe you know of someone who is going through a hard time. Pray for them like Paul did. Use the same words he used but insert their name. After you’ve prayed, send them a note or message letting them know you’re thinking of them.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for the early church’s example of faithfulness in spite of suffering. Help us to follow their example of faithfulness and perseverance in the faith. Thank You for Your unconditional love. Help me to rest in it and live as I believe it. Who can I encourage today? Who needs to hear a message of hope from You through me? Show me, Lord. In Jesus’s name, Amen.