Faith & Love: A One Year Bible Reading Plan - Part 11Sample

Today’s chapter is 1 Thessalonians 1.

Throughout this chapter, you can feel Paul’s encouragement flowing from his letter. He praises the Thessalonians for their faithful work, their loving deeds, and their enduring hope based on our Lord Jesus Christ.

But today, I want to zoom in on one specific part of this letter that I feel the Holy Spirit has laid on my heart.

Verses 6 and 7 read: “So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way you imitated both us and the Lord. As a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Greece.” - NLT

Paul is congratulating the Thessalonians for beholding Jesus, which is evidenced in Paul and his companions’ way of living, seeing that Jesus' way is good and mirroring it. He is praising the fact that they are now an example for those around them and for other believers in Greece.

Let’s bring this a step closer to home:

Paul is urging us to allow the Holy Spirit to come and fill our cups to the point where they overflow into other people’s lives. He is urging us to spend time beholding Jesus so that we will be able to bear fruit and bless others, encouraging them to do the same. He wants us to spend time with people that will encourage us to pursue holiness. He wants us to spend time BEING LOVED and spend time loving others.

I want to leave us with two questions:

Question 1: What or who are you beholding, meaning who or what are you allowing to shape your life?

Question 2: Who are you doing life with? Who are you allowing to encourage or to love you? Who are you encouraging or loving?