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Welcome
to E-votional*
We want to spend time in scripture, meditation, prayer but... school... busy... work...
lots to do... just forget... hard... all alone... discouraged... distracted... tempted... let's just say life gets
in the way of our good intentions. This web page is intended to be a tool to help put
our good intentions into practice. For the next few weeks I'll be selecting our verses from Paul's letters
to the church at Thessalonica.
This is e-votional #2 from Thessalonians.
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REMEMBER:
Our focus verse for last week:
"For we know, brothers & sisters, beloved of God, that he has chosen you."
I Thessalonians
1:4
TAKE IT
TO HEART! (The #1 entry on our daily to do lists. Think about what our focus verse means to you today. Maybe
you'll learn the verse by memory; maybe you'll take it to heart and it will become part of who YOU are.)
"...approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.
We are not trying to please men but God who tests our hearts."
I
Thessalonians 2:4
PUT IT
IN CONTEXT: I Thessalonians, Chapter 2, Verses 1-9. :Our heart verse
is part of Paul's effort to help the church at Thessalonica remember the time he spent with them when he first told them the
Good News, "the gospel." In Chapter 1, he gave thanks for their having "welcomed the message with joy given by the Holy Spirit." They
had followed Paul's example and Jesus' example and had become an example for others.
Paul was grateful for "your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love,
and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." Paul
then gives some details of his example: Although he had suffered and been insulted
in Philippi and faced strong opposition in Thessalonica, Paul had with God's help dared to speak the Gospel. By reminding the church of his example, Paul is urging them (and us!)
to do as he did, to tell others the Good News even if it's scary.
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For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to
trick you. 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. You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God
is our witness. We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or any
one else... we were gentle among you like a mother caring for her little children. 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." I
Thessalonians 2:3-8.
Think about it; believe it; practice it:
"God who tests our hearts."
Many of us have been taking tests at school to determine whether we pass or fail.
God's test is more important. God's tests involve not only right answers
but right motives:
faith, hope, and love. {"love, not in words only but in actions and truth" I John
3:18}
Paul asserts that he did not fail his
test in Thessalonica because he shared not only the gospel (words) but his life.
Who shares our lives? What are our motives? Do we speak Good News? Who are we trying to please?
"For we know, brothers & sisters, beloved of God, that
he has chosen you."
"...approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.
We are not trying to please men but God who tests our hearts."
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E-votion Thessalonians were written by K Cummings Pipes. If you make copies, please credit K Cummings Pipes, Southwest
Central Church of Christ, Houston, TX 2005
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