one step: 1 Thessalonians 4.2

and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

As mentioned, the Church in Thessalonica was surrounded by hostile people groups.* Remembering this, and desiring to survive, the words of Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 make sense: if you live in a hostile environment, attempt to stay out of trouble.

Living quietly, minding your own business, and working with your hands effectively produced great results, though these things seem rather simple. What were the great results? They were a witness to outsiders.

During the time of Paul, it wasn’t uncommon in Greek culture for those with wealth to show off their status within the society by displaying how many people they supported with generosity.* Those who received their generosity did so for various reasons, but often times it was simply in exchange for praise, not because there was a real need involved.* Some scholars suggest that while Paul recognizes that generosity is important, only those who absolutely need it should receive it.* All others should work to support themselves. Furthermore, some scholars speculate that the church of the time was worrying more about political games than preaching the Gospel.* Other scholars believe also that Paul had to remind the Church to work because some stopped working because they believed there was no point in working due to the soon-to-return Christ.*

The exact reasons for why Paul narrowed the effective witness of the Church in Thessalonica to living quietly, minding your business, and working hard remains illusive. However, the consensus among scholars is that one of the greatest ways that the Church in Thessalonica could show the love of Christ to one another and to the surrounding society was to do the simple things right.* Paul knew that if the Church in Thessalonica avoided causing trouble of their own and did the things that the surrounding society respected as right, they would be a light to this world.*

In the words of Seyoon Kim,

The church should always seek to maintain a good reputation in the world. This is inherently required of it as the community of the citizens of the kingdom of God, the community of the justified and sanctified. It is also required by its missionary nature. It must let its “light so shine before all people, that they may see [their] good works and give glory to [their] Father who is in heaven” (Matt 5:16; cf. Phil 2:14–15; 1 Pet 2:9, 12).

Sometimes the world needs to see the Church do the simple, right things right. Sometimes this shines the light of Jesus brighter than any revival meeting, political argument, or social media post.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to do the little things right. Perhaps today God wants you to be a light to this world by showing love to another believer. Maybe today God wants you to extend generosity to someone else.

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. 138–139, 141-142). Zondervan Publishing House.
Shogren, G. S. (2012). 1 & 2 Thessalonians (pp. 170–172). Zondervan.
Green, G. L. (2002). The letters to the Thessalonians (pp. 208–213). W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.
Kim, S., & Bruce, F. F. (2023). 1 & 2 Thessalonians (D. B. Capes, Ed.; Second Edition, Vol. 45, pp. 361–371). Zondervan Academic.
Morris, L. (1984). 1 and 2 Thessalonians: An introduction and commentary (Vol. 13, pp. 85–86). InterVarsity Press.
Beale, G. K. (2003). 1–2 Thessalonians (pp. 126–129). 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. 292–299). Baker Academic.

one step: water break

Search me, O God, and know my heart!
    Try me and know my thoughts!

Psalm 139:23

The One Step Daily Devotional is intended to provide just one step each day for your journey with God. Every journey requires water breaks. Here is a water break for you.

---

We spend a lot of time in our life worrying. Despite being told not to be anxious (Matthew 6:25), and even though we are told to be anxious for nothing (Philippians 4:6), we still do. Why is that?

There are a lot of reasons that we can be anxious, but many times we cannot figure out the source, or the source that we identify is superficial. Meaning, we may feel anxious and think that it’s because we need a job soon when really we are anxious because we do not trust God to provide for us. It’s hard to know the exact source of our anxiety. We attempt to medicate all sorts of different ways, but unless we get to the root of the issue, we will flounder in our anxiety for much longer than we wish.

What are we to do?

The psalmist wrote,

Search me, O God, and know my heart!
    Try me and know my thoughts!

The Hebrew word interpreted “thoughts” in this verse can also be interpreted as “cares.” Some interpretations into English (such as the NASB) read “anxious thoughts.”

We need God. We need Him to help us see what’s in our hearts. At times, we need our neighbor to help us see what’s blocking our view (Matthew 7:3-5), but we need God to examine our heart.

Today I was reminded that I can be critical and negative. I don’t know why I have these faults. I don’t want to see the empty glass or criticize in ways that tear down. It seems that I do this without being aware. I even think of myself as encouraging to others. How can I be so blind? Why is it that I criticize and think negatively? Is there some care or worry deep in my heart that needs healing? I need the Lord to examine my heart. I cannot see.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to invite and allow God to examine your heart. Perhaps today God wants you to recognize that there are cares or worries that you need Him to look at. Maybe today God wants you to change strategies: look to Him instead of looking at your worries.

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. Take a water break… we all get thirsty.

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

one step: 1 Thessalonians 4.1

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

During the time of Paul, normal life in Thessalonica included sexual promiscuity.* Far from limiting sexual activities, the cults of Dionysus, Aphrodite, Osiris and Isis, the Cabirus, and Priapas encouraged sexual “freedom.”* Within this context, limiting sexual activity for the purpose of closeness to a deity and obedience to its will was foreign to the Thessalonians. Paul needed to instruct the Church of Thessalonica that the one, true God desired limitations to be put on their sexual activity.* Why is this?

According to Paul, when one engages in sexual activities outside of the marriage of a man and a woman, one is taking from someone else.* Meaning, when someone commits adultery, they are taking what isn’t theirs, namely, someone else’s spouse.* When someone engages in sexual activity prior to marriage (which was encouraged in Greek culture at the time of Paul), they too are taking what isn’t theirs by engaging with someone for whom God has for someone else.* Thus, the consequences of sexual transgression aren’t just personal and private, but they are communal as well; sexual sins impact the community.*

The call to holiness can feel like a punishment or like something negative to those who wish to live immorally.* To the Church of Thessalonica, it felt like an honor.

Prior to the work of Jesus Christ, the people of Israel were the only ones who could enjoy the title of “Holy unto God.”* They were a people set apart for Him. Because of the work of our Lord Jesus, anyone (including Gentiles) can be grafted into the set apart family of God; anyone can, by way of submitting to Christ, enjoy the special closeness to the Holy God that Scripture calls holiness.*

The call to purity and holy living isn’t a command of man, it’s the will and want of God.* It is best for us; it is best for our community. To do otherwise may be worshiping something other than God.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to step into holiness. Perhaps today He wants you to be holy as He is holy. Maybe today God wants you to repent for following the ways of the surrounding culture. Perhaps today is the day to view holiness as a privilege.

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. 124–131). Zondervan Publishing House.
Shogren, G. S. (2012). 1 & 2 Thessalonians (pp. 161–167). Zondervan.
Green, G. L. (2002). The letters to the Thessalonians (pp. 187–202). W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.
Kim, S., & Bruce, F. F. (2023). 1 & 2 Thessalonians (D. B. Capes, Ed.; Second Edition, Vol. 45, pp. 329–346). Zondervan Academic.
Morris, L. (1984). 1 and 2 Thessalonians: An introduction and commentary (Vol. 13, pp. 80–84). InterVarsity Press.
Beale, G. K. (2003). 1–2 Thessalonians (pp. 117–123). 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. 263–266). Baker Academic.

one step: training day

But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.

Luke 5:15-16

The One Step Daily Devotional is intended to provide just one step each day for your journey with God. Every journey requires training days. These days prepare us for the trail ahead. Let’s take a day to train together.

---

Jesus was in the throws of miraculous, effective ministry. Though the demand was great and growing, Jesus did the opposite of what we would think that a entrepreneurial church-starting Savior of the World would do: He hid.

This goes against the norm of this world that would advocate for maximum effort for a maximum amount of time in order to “get the ministry going.” Jesus wasn’t just hiding, however. He was touching base with His source of power, energy, direction, and purpose: God the Father. Furthermore, Jesus was willing to go to great lengths to set aside this valuable time: He chose desolate places.

How many of us value solitude and prayer enough to go to abandon our responsibilities, seek out uncomfortable places, and risk the pain of our own inner world long enough to be silent and pray? Surely Jesus had some difficult memories from being tempted in the wilderness (see Luke 4), yet He chose to meet in the wilderness to pray.

Today, let’s train together for the road ahead. Like Jesus, take some time to hide away and pray. Perhaps you have been running from the silence of your own soul, afraid of the pain that lurks beneath the surface. Perhaps you think that running away to pray goes too far against your belief that you have to do more for longer to succeed.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to train His way. Perhaps today God wants you to get ready for the next phase of life by hiding away with Him. Perhaps God wants you to go to great lengths to do so.

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. Take a water break… we all get thirsty.

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

one step: 1 Thessalonians 3.3

 Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

1 Thessalonians 3:11-13

Why should we love one another? According to Scripture, there are a lot of reasons. Here, Paul explains that our increase in love will have a result: the establishment of our hearts as blameless in holiness before God.*

Paul goes on later to explain how we may define “holiness,” but it’s important here to understand that fundamentally, blamelessness and holiness relate to high moral character and right-standing with God.* Thanks to this letter to the Church in Thessalonica, we see that an abundance of love is not detached from high moral character and close proximity to God.

In our culture today, we can feel pressure to allow people to live however they desire, no matter how foolish, self-destructive, or socially detrimental. Similarly, we can reject the accountability of others in our lives, demanding that they allow us to do what we want in the name of “love.” In the name of love, we convince ourselves that love allows reckless abandonment. Contrarily, God tells us through His Word that an abundance of love brings us to model and thus call others to blamelessness and holiness in God.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to allow the love of God to grow in you and through you. Perhaps today God would ask you to allow His love to draw you closer to Him and His holiness. Maybe today God would have you find the purity of love once more.

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. 115–116, 118). Zondervan Publishing House.
Shogren, G. S. (2012). 1 & 2 Thessalonians (p. 144). Zondervan.
Green, G. L. (2002). The letters to the Thessalonians (pp. 179–180). W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.
Kim, S., & Bruce, F. F. (2023). 1 & 2 Thessalonians (D. B. Capes, Ed.; Second Edition, Vol. 45, pp. 300–301). Zondervan Academic.
Morris, L. (1984). 1 and 2 Thessalonians: An introduction and commentary (Vol. 13, pp. 76–77). InterVarsity Press.
Beale, G. K. (2003). 1–2 Thessalonians (pp. 110–112). 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. 240–241). Baker Academic.