While We Wait - a Study of 1 & 2 ThessaloniansSampel

Paul concludes by emphasizing the importance of prayer and even asking for it as he continues his work in spreading the good news about Jesus. He says he's "confident in the Lord" (2 Thessalonians 3:4) that the Thessalonians will continue to do the good work they've been doing. Notice he didn't say he was confident in the Thessalonians. Our own human efforts can so easily fall short—how much more can we accomplish for an even greater purpose when we're led by Jesus?

He goes on with some final instructions for how to continue living while waiting for Jesus to return.

While we are called to love all people, we are not called to let everyone have equal influence in our lives. In fact, there are people we are supposed to stay away from.

That doesn’t mean we don’t show love to those people, but it is up to us to filter how much they impact us. One way to do that is to grow your community with people who lead you to be more like Jesus. If you're not already connected to a church, this is a great reason to find one and get involved! Maybe it's volunteering at church or joining a group—whatever allows you to connect with other Christians.

The more you fill your bucket with godly voices, the less you’ll need reassurance or connection from the people who bring you down.

You did it! Throughout our journey through 1 & 2 Thessalonians, we learned about the way God wants us to live while we wait:

• with endurance amid suffering
• with passionate purpose
• with increasing hope in the face of despair
• with holiness despite relentless temptation

For more study on 1 & 2 Thessalonians, check out this message series, While We Wait.