one step: 1 Thessalonians 2.6

But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us.

1 Thessalonians 2:17-18

There are times that we must be away from the ones we love. This isn’t because we don’t want to be with them, but there are circumstances beyond our control that keep us apart. Perhaps work travel, military service, or mission work has kept you away from family. For Paul, Satan himself attempted to keep him and his team out of Thessalonica.* This time and distance apart was difficult for Paul because of his great love for them.*

Isn’t it interesting that Paul wasn’t satisfied with letters? Isn’t it interesting that Paul didn’t think to himself, “well, at least we can write. That’s good enough?” It was quite the opposite. Paul wanted to come meet with them in person with “great desire.”

The word in Greek was the same word that Jesus used in Luke 22 when He told the disciples that He “earnestly desired” to share the Passover meal with them.* It’s a word that can be translated in negative connotations as lust.*

Why do I share this? Pastor Jay Kim shares in his work Analog Church: Why We Need Real People, Places, and Things in the Digital Age that digital meetings cannot replace in-person meeting.* He shares that the best that digital connection can do is to wet our appetite for in-person connection.* In fact, according to Nan Zhao et al in “Separable Processes for Live ‘In-Person’ and Live ‘Zoom-Like’ Faces”, different parts of the brain fire during in-person meetings than during Zoom meetings with Zoom meetings leaving certain parts of the brain inactive.*

Just as Paul longed for in-person connection with the Church, so too do we long for real, in-person connection. Certain things may keep us apart, but maybe today is a good day for you to ask someone you know to sit across a table from you to chat. Maybe the lack of satisfaction you have after chatting on a video call or after looking on social media is there for a reason. Maybe God designed you for something more tangible.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to connect with Him in person. Perhaps today God wants you to use digital technology as a bridge to invite someone to an in-person coffee meeting. Maybe today God wants you to keep trying to connect even when there’s opposition.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Holmes, M. (1998). 1 and 2 Thessalonians (pp. 94–95). Zondervan Publishing House.
Shogren, G. S. (2012). 1 & 2 Thessalonians (pp. 130–134). Zondervan.
Green, G. L. (2002). The letters to the Thessalonians (pp. 150–153). W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.
Morris, L. (1984). 1 and 2 Thessalonians: An introduction and commentary (Vol. 13, pp. 65–67). InterVarsity Press.
Beale, G. K. (2003). 1–2 Thessalonians (pp. 89–91). InterVarsity Press.
Weima, J. A. D. (2014). Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: 1–2 Thessalonians (R. W. Yarbrough & R. H. Stein, Eds.; pp. 195–201). Baker Academic.
Büchsel, F. (1964–). θυμός, ἐπιθυμία, ἐπιθυμέω, ἐπιθυμητής, ἐνθυμέομαι, ἐνθύμησις. In G. Kittel, G. W. Bromiley, & G. Friedrich (Eds.), Theological dictionary of the New Testament (electronic ed., Vol. 3, pp. 168–169). Eerdmans.
Kim, Jay. Analog Church: Why We Need Real People, Places, and Things in the Digital Age. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. 2020.
Zhao, Nan & Zhang, Xian & Noah, Adam & Tiede, Mark & Hirsch, Joy. (2023). Separable Processes for Live “In-Person” and Live “Zoom-like” Faces. Imaging Neuroscience. 1. 10.1162/imag_a_00027.

one step: 1 Thessalonians 2.5

For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea…

1 Thessalonians 2:14a

I’ve heard it said that imitation is the greatest flattery. In the case of the Church in Thessalonica, their imitation was worthy of praise! The Church in Thessalonica underwent persecution just as the Church in Judea, and similarly they both represented Christ well through it all.*

When we look around us and try to decide who we are going to be, we often imitate others that look something like however we define “success.” For the Church in Thessalonica, they saw success as representing Christ no matter the cost.

It was a pivotal time for the Church. In fact, at the time that Paul wrote this letter, the word “church” wasn’t even designated for the Christian community as it is today.* The word ekklesia (Greek for “church”) could refer to a wide range of groups included Hellenistic or Jewish groups.* Nowadays, if you say, “I’m a part of a church,” people instantly know that you refer to some branch of Christianity. In the time of Paul, it would be like saying, “I’m a part of community.”

This open meaning to ekklesia prompted Paul to describe the Church in the following two ways:

• “of God” - belonging to God*

• “in Christ Jesus” - denotes the unity of the churches under Christ*

Where do you find yourself today? Are you at a crossroads or on a journey of figuring out who you are?

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to imitate the Church in Thessalonica. Perhaps today God would have you define yourself as belonging to God and a part of His family. Maybe today God would have you represent Him in some area of your life even if it’s hard.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Holmes, M. (1998). 1 and 2 Thessalonians (p. 82). Zondervan Publishing House.
Shogren, G. S. (2012). 1 & 2 Thessalonians (pp. 110–111). Zondervan.
Green, G. L. (2002). The letters to the Thessalonians (pp. 141–142). W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.
Kim, S., & Bruce, F. F. (2023). 1 & 2 Thessalonians (D. B. Capes, Ed.; Second Edition, Vol. 45, pp. 241–244). Zondervan Academic.
Morris, L. (1984). 1 and 2 Thessalonians: An introduction and commentary (Vol. 13, p. 64). InterVarsity Press.
Beale, G. K. (2003). 1–2 Thessalonians (pp. 80–82). InterVarsity Press.
Weima, J. A. D. (2014). Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: 1–2 Thessalonians (R. W. Yarbrough & R. H. Stein, Eds.; pp. 165–166). Baker Academic.

one step: 1 Thessalonians 2.4

For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

1 Thessalonians 2:11-12

Paul, after likening his (and his team’s) approach to serving the Church to that of a nurturing, nursing mother, then turns to describe his approach as that of a father. In these two short verses, Paul sheds light on the role of a father, points to his motivation for serving as a father, calls the Church to live intentionally, and points toward the role of the Church body as family.* Let’s look at each:

• Role of a father: In this verse, Paul describes the role of the father as one who commands and comforts.* The three Greek words that Paul uses imply that fathers serve through acts of appealing, exhorting, requesting, and imploring as well as encouraging, comforting, cheering up, and consoling.*

• Motivation for serving as a father: “in order that you may lead a life worthy of God.”* What does this mean? How does one live a life worthy of God? Does this mean we need to earn the love or attention of the Father? Why would Paul father the Church toward a life worthy of God?

• Intentional living: to live a life worthy of God means to intentionally act, speak, and think in a way that reflects the greatest goal of believers: to live submitted to God and to share in His divine glory.* Our attempts to live a life worthy of God is not an effort to earn, but it is a response to the amazing grace that He has given us (which we could never earn).* Paul wants this lifestyle and posture for the Church.

• Role of the Church body as family: Paul has demonstrated that within the body of Christ, each of us can receive the familial needs that reside within each us (needs for mothering and fathering).* When those needs are not met in our families of origin, the family of God can fill that gap.*

These two verses invite reflection: What has been your experience of fathering? Was what you experienced encouragement, comfort, and a call to greater living? Did the fathering you experienced growing up point you toward responding appropriately to the extravagant gift of grace from God (Jesus Christ)?

If not, God wants us to know that good examples of the Father’s heart exist within the body of Christ. Our experiences with others don’t always reflect the heart of God for us, but sometimes they do.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to receive Him as Good Father. Perhaps today God wants you to receive the family of God as family. Maybe today God wants you to reflect His heart to those around you. Perhaps today there is something inside of you that God wants to heal.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Holmes, M. (1998). 1 and 2 Thessalonians (pp. 67–68). Zondervan Publishing House.
Shogren, G. S. (2012). 1 & 2 Thessalonians (pp. 107–109). Zondervan.
Green, G. L. (2002). The letters to the Thessalonians (pp. 135–138). W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.
Kim, S., & Bruce, F. F. (2023). 1 & 2 Thessalonians (D. B. Capes, Ed.; Second Edition, Vol. 45, pp. 227–231). Zondervan Academic.
Morris, L. (1984). 1 and 2 Thessalonians: An introduction and commentary (Vol. 13, pp. 61–62). InterVarsity Press.
Beale, G. K. (2003). 1–2 Thessalonians (pp. 74–76). InterVarsity Press.
Weima, J. A. D. (2014). Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: 1–2 Thessalonians (R. W. Yarbrough & R. H. Stein, Eds.; pp. 155–158). Baker Academic.

one step: 1 Thessalonians 2.3

But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

1 Thessalonians 2:7-8

After saying what they were not motivated by (greed and fame), Paul shares their heart for the people.* Unlike the philosophers of the time, and unlike many of the message-givers of our day, Paul, Silas, and Timothy do not offer a simple message for personal gain, but they offer the entirety of who they are.*

As mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 2.1, Paul and Silas had endured great hardship in Philippi because of the Gospel, and it almost cost them their lives. Now, they entered into a similarly-hostile environment to share this same Gospel of God. They brought their message with a willingness to die to share it. Why?

Paul juxtaposes the selfish motivators of fame and greed to the care and love of a nursing mother. Their motivation for sharing the Gospel was deep, caring love.*

Sharing the Gospel may feel like a duty at times, and certainly we know that some may share the Gospel out of wrong motivations (Philippians 1:15-18). The Gospel will only be preached in difficult places, however, if motivated by caring love.

There are places in your life that are difficult. There is tension at work, strife at home, fear at school, etc. These places and environments do not necessarily make us feel safe enough to share the Gospel, yet they are in need of it most. God’s love for His people (which includes us) must shine in and through us to a needy world.

The Gospel we share is life. The Gospel we share is power. The Gospel we share is that Jesus Christ came to earth to reestablish His Kingdom rule by living perfectly and sinlessly, paying our death-debt, rising again to life three days later, and living forever in victory. The Good News is that the Kingdom of God is at hand! This kind of Gospel must be shared, and God’s love will help us give our whole selves to share it.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to share His Gospel out of love today. Perhaps today God would have you examine your heart with Him to answer the question: why do I do what I do? Maybe today God would have you pour out your life for His purposes.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Holmes, M. (1998). 1 and 2 Thessalonians (pp. 63–65). Zondervan Publishing House.
Shogren, G. S. (2012). 1 & 2 Thessalonians (pp. 98–105). Zondervan.
Green, G. L. (2002). The letters to the Thessalonians (pp. 125–129). W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.
Kim, S., & Bruce, F. F. (2023). 1 & 2 Thessalonians (D. B. Capes, Ed.; Second Edition, Vol. 45, pp. 209–217). Zondervan Academic.
Morris, L. (1984). 1 and 2 Thessalonians: An introduction and commentary (Vol. 13, pp. 55–59). InterVarsity Press.
Beale, G. K. (2003). 1–2 Thessalonians (pp. 72–73). InterVarsity Press.
Weima, J. A. D. (2014). Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: 1–2 Thessalonians (R. W. Yarbrough & R. H. Stein, Eds.; pp. 142–149). Baker Academic.

one step: 1 Thessalonians 2.2

For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ.

1 Thessalonians 2:5-6

How many times in our culture have we seen ministers that seem to have fallen into the trap of fame and money? Sadly, once would be more times than is acceptable, and the numbers reach well beyond that.

Paul’s words resonate with us as we look for pastors and ministers of the Gospel who have some how remained pure. In the time of Paul, it was not uncommon for orators to use their skill to persuade and manipulate others into praising them or giving them money.* In fact, this became the reputation of philosophers and public speakers in the time of Paul.* Paul had to overtly state that he and his team were not after money and fame because so many that came before them had.* The orators of the time of Paul were akin to the rockstar legends or Hollywood stars of our day.*

It was imperative that Paul overtly oppose those motives and seek to have his life align to his claims.

Interestingly, Paul, according to the expectations on a community for how to treat an apostle such as Paul, should have been expecting him to ask for honor and financial compensation, yet Paul did not.* He wanted to preserve the integrity of the Gospel.

How do people view Christians in your circle? Do you seek to overtly represent the purity of the Gospel by separating yourself from those things that they think or say that don’t align to the heart and person of Christ?

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to seek after the purity of the Gospel. Perhaps today God wants you to step toward aligning some area of your life to Christ. Maybe today God wants you to live holy as He is holy. Perhaps today God wants you to set aside greed and fame as pursuits in order to pursue after sharing the hope of Jesus to humanity.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Holmes, M. (1998). 1 and 2 Thessalonians (pp. 62–63). Zondervan Publishing House.
Shogren, G. S. (2012). 1 & 2 Thessalonians (pp. 96–98). Zondervan.
Green, G. L. (2002). The letters to the Thessalonians (pp. 121–124). W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.
Kim, S., & Bruce, F. F. (2023). 1 & 2 Thessalonians (D. B. Capes, Ed.; Second Edition, Vol. 45, pp. 207–209). Zondervan Academic.
Morris, L. (1984). 1 and 2 Thessalonians: An introduction and commentary (Vol. 13, pp. 54–55). InterVarsity Press.
Beale, G. K. (2003). 1–2 Thessalonians (pp. 68–71). InterVarsity Press.
Weima, J. A. D. (2014). Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: 1–2 Thessalonians (R. W. Yarbrough & R. H. Stein, Eds.; pp. 138–142). Baker Academic.