Get it?

1 Thes. 2:6-12 As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, [7] but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. [8] We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. [9] Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.

[10] You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. [11] For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, [12] encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

I'm gripped by this image of a Father that Paul presents here because I want to be like this with my boys. I want to fill them with courage for the lives they have to lead, and for the tasks they will have to face as they go through life - because it won't always be easy and there will be times that they will need courgae and support. But also to live lives which are worthy of God. This is almost my ultimate prayer, that they grow up to be followers of Jesus and that He shines through their lives. I want this for the people I lead too, those who are becoming my spiritual children. So as a Pastor I get what Paul is writing here. I really do....

Trick or treat....

1 Thes. 2:1-6 You know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure. [2] We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition. [3] For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. [4] On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. [5] You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. [6] We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else.

Tricking people has been a hot topic in the faith community I am part of. We are desperate to reach out to our friends and see them come to Jesus. But we are aware of some of the failures of our past, aware that in our good intentions we seem to have promised our friends one thing and then presented them with another - that a friendly social event suddenly, it seems to them, turns into a Gospel service. And our friends feel tricked, and we feel we've let them down, and we become reluctant to share with them again, and anyway it would be harder because their 'defences' are raised and their hearts are hardened.... our motives may be pure, but our methods have made that purity murky.

We need to seek God's counsel to be more open with our friends, to be able to be upfront and non-aggressive at the same time. Witness is never easy. It's a challenge, one we need to rise to, but then everything which comes with a reward is a challenge....

Imagine....

1 Thes. 1:4-10 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, [5] because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. [6] You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. [7] And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. [8] The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, [9] for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, [10] and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

Imagine what it would be like if we really copied Jesus in everything....

Imagine if we tried to be as humble as Jesus - just imageine how we could serve each other in kndness and selflessness. Imagine if we sought wisdom like him - then we could discern the best thing to do in each and every situation. Imagine if we were learning to be as compassionate as he was - then we would never run away from a difficult situation where someone needed help. Imagine if we could become as open as Jesus - just think of the network of friends that we would have and the doors that would open into our communities. And imagine if we learned to be as brave as he was - then we would know what it would be like to take the Gospel into dark places and see its light shine gloriously.

Imagine....

1 Thessalonians 1:1-3

1 Thes. 1:1-3 Paul, Silas and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace and peace to you.

[2] We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. [3] We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

If someone was writing about my life in Jesus I would hope that they could write this way of me. I love the way that Paul phrases the work of the Thessalonians in three couplets.

They are known for their work for God, work which is produced by faith. I hope that my faith plays an active part of my life, that my faith in God, my trust that he will be there when I need him to, will move me to undertake tasks for him that would otherwise scare me.

They work hard, it is labour. Yet inspired by love, their care and concern for their brothers and sisters, and also for people who do not know Jesus, they are willing to go the extra mile in their service. I would hope that people would find me to be accommodating in this way too.

And they are willing o endure work and labour. They are willing to keep going even if the world seems against them because they have hope. They trust in the promise of Jesus that he will overcome this world and bring love, peace and justice in the world to come. I pray that in my life I continually grasp the eternal significance of all that I do and trust in the eternal promises of Jesus about restoring my relationship with my creator.

Serving with your Whole Heart: Day 5....

Deut. 30:11-20 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. [12] It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, "Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so that we may obey it?" [13] Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, "Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so that we may obey it?" [14] No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so that you may obey it.

[15] See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. [16] For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

[17] But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, [18] I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

[19] This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live [20] and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

You come across a passage like this a few times when you read through the Bible - the prophet's call for the people to be faithful to the word of God. And in it he lays down two futures - the prosperity and blessing of walking in God's path or the trouble that comes from walking outside his will.

I think for us when it comes to serving him with our whole hearts we too face this choice. If we leave the path we may find pleasure and enjoyment in the world's terms, we may even prosper materially. But if we do so, knowing that God wished and planned something else for us we will lack one thing, the peace of mind that comes from knowing that we are at the centre of God's will for our lives.

As I look back over the last few weeks of devotions I remember this, that I need to discover the way God has built me, find the task that he will give me, and run at it with my whole heart, so that I know I am at the centre of his will for my life.

Serving with your Whole Heart: Day 4....

1 Kings 8:61 But your hearts must be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time."

This is often the hard part. Letting go and letting God take charge. It is about letting him make the key decisions and following his lead. Serving with your whole heart means giving it fully and unreservedly to him.

So now I pray that I can trust him, that in my everyday worship I see enough of him so that when it comes to letting go I can do so with confidence, and be willing to let go in bigger and bigger circumstances.

Esther 4:12-16 When Esther's words were reported to Mordecai, [13] he sent back this answer: "Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. [14] For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?"

[15] Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: [16] "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish."

During the time of exile a young Jewish woman named Esther became Queen. The enemies of the Jews had plotted to destroy them all and word of this had reached Jews who had attained an influential position, including the most influential of them all, Esther. At this point in her life she knew that it was her voice that would have to speak out for her people.

Mordecai's words are amazing, challenging and full of truth - who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this? This was her God anointed part to play in the history of her people. She was in a unique place. She had the heart and passion for it. And she had the experience necessary to approach the King and plead on behalf of the Jews. As my Grandfather once said - the Lord works in obvious ways.

Serving with your Whole Heart: Day 2....

Ephes. 6:5-8 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. [6] Obey them not only to win their favour when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. [7] Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, [8] because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.

Like yesterday we are encoraged to serve with our whole heart - the reason being that it is not people on earth we are serving, but Jesus himself. And we serve to do good. Wherever we are we must bring love and goodness and peace and justice into the situation. It is the mark of believers that when they are present these qualities are also there in abundance. Pray today that you take these qualities with you into your situation.

Serving with your whole Heart: Day 1....

Col. 3:22-24 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favour, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. [23] Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, [24] since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

I think when Paul first wrote these words it was to encourage early believers to be good witnesses for Jesus. His culture was highly stratified between free people and slaves and the new faith did not want to attract pressure from the government by attempting to stir up social discord. But it may also have been possible that in some situations Christian slaves actually worked for christian masters.... in this situation then Paul would have expected the master not to abuse the slave but to treat him as a brother, so not overturning social convention by revolution but by subversion....

Anyway, we need to work hard in our situations. At work it shows that those who follow Jesus are not lazy and can be trusted. it brings credit to Jesus if we are seen as honest and diligent in the workplace. But also in our ministry. We have to go after serving God 100% - we can't hold anything back. That's why we have to find a place where our passions and gifts fit. because then we will be energised to serve, not drained by it. Then we will be able to work whole heatedly for our heavenly father....

Serving From Experience: Day 5....

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

The story of the lost son reminds me that no matter how bad the situation that I find myself in is, there is always a way back to God, the loving Father who will forgive and restore us. And it is true of my experiences. No matter the pain, hurt, joy, gladness or shame I feel at the time, all of them will mould me and shape me. I have to resolve to use these experiences to shape me to become more like Jesus, rather than in becoming a bitter, angry selfish caricature of a person. Because then these things that happen to me, through intent, through negligence, through my own weakness, may be redeemed by the Father and used to serve him and bring joy, relief and comfort to others.

Serving from Experience: Day 4....

2 Tim. 1:6-7 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. [7] For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

I remember the time I messed up really badly..... I just wanted to give up. I felt I had nothing left to offer, and wouldn't be considered to offer anything anyway. I just wanted to crawl away into a corner and be forgotten.... and when times are tough I often want to give up and crawl away too.

But sometimes it takes a friend to speak truth into our lives at points like these - to comfort and encourage us, to get us not to forget what God has spoken to us in the good times, because he spoke them then so that in the dark times we could draw strength from them!

Pray that God surrounds you with people, who when things have gone awry will speak words of truth into you.

Serving from Experience: Day 3....

Philip. 3:12-14 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. [13] Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, [14] I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus.

It's imporant to remember the past, but not to be held captive by it. We should learn from our experience, not be trapped by it. Sometimes I have to acknowledge that I have mae big mistakes. But once I've made ammends for them, or sought forgiveness, or been restored, I try and move on. If I dwell on what I did wrong, brood about it, or feel that I am not worthy to serve God then I stop contributing to moving the Kingdom forward - and when that happens the only person who benefits is Satan.... So I learn from my mistakes, learn from the past, but I have to choose not to dwell there.

Serving from Experience: Day 2....

Acts 20:24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.

This is the second time we've come across this passage recently....

I think back to my life before Jesus, and to the lives without Jesus I see around me. I don't want to experience life without Jesus again. It's a passion that drives me forward - I wamt others to know Jesus like I do, to be perhaps closer than me....

Serving from Experience: Day 1....

1 Cor. 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

A tutor at university once told me to read a lot - nothing you ever read will be wasted he told me. I think he lied. Nothing I read seemed to come up in the questions he set for my exams....

But much the same is true of God. Nothing is ever wasted. He can take any experience, any situation that you find yourself in and use it help you grow and to serve others. So I need to learn to be a person of reflection. I need to be able to look back on those things that have happned to me and look for how I can benefit from them spiritually. And not just by looking backwards either. I think that I need to pause in every situation I find myself in and ask if God is asking me to do anything here....