 In the late 1800’s a large group of European pastors came to one of D. L. Moody’s Northfield Bible Conferences in Massachusetts. Following the European custom of the time, each guest put his shoes outside his room to be cleaned by the hall servants overnight. But of course, this was America and there were no hall servants. Walking the dormitory halls that night, Moody saw the shoes and determined not to embarrass his brothers. He mentioned the need to some ministerial students who were there but was met with silence or pious excuses. Moody returned to the dorm, gathered up the shoes, and alone in his room, the world’s most famous evangelist at this time began to clean and polish the shoes one at a time. Only the unexpected arrival of a friend in the midst his work revealed the secret. When the foreign visitors awoke in the morning and opened their doors their shoes were shined. They didn’t give a second thought as who did this. They figured it was done by servants. Moody told no one, but his friend told a few people, and during the rest of the conference, different men volunteered to shine the shoes in secret. Perhaps this episode is a vital insight into why God used D. L. Moody as He did. He was a man with a servant’s heart and that was the basis of his true greatness. I Thessalonians 2:10 - 12 In these verses Paul writes passionately about his love and care for the people of Thessalonica. According to the New Bible Commentary, “So many wandering religious and philosophical teachers travelled around the Roman world making what they could out of their hearers, that it was necessary for the missionaries to stress that their motives and methods were quite different from those of the less scrupulous of their rivals.” But Paul writes to the Thessalonians that he is the real deal in his mission work. He loves this congregation as a parent loves their children. It is interesting to note that Paul uses the imagery of parents, or more specifically a father’s love for their children. For some believers, the loss of family was a costly price they paid for following Jesus Christ and this was most likely the case for most believers in the church of Thessalonica and even more so with Paul and his companions. Paul’s parental imagery and language suggests that this congregation is his new family, since many had lost their family because of their faith and now this new family will substitute for those that have been severed or broken. Paul tells his congregation that his love is deep and sacrificial. It is the kind of love a parent has for a child. Carrie and I love our children and we will do whatever to ensure that they are taken care of, protected, and provided for. We try to encourage and exhort them to live their lives for God and him alone. This does not mean we will do absolutely anything for our kids just because they ask. It means that we love them so much and because of this it sometimes means using discipline or saying “No” to certain things and it is about training, teaching, encouraging, exhorting, and lovingly showing them how they can live to honor God. It hasn’t always been easy but it was certainly necessary. We have, to the best of our ability, to help them live separate from the world and yet live in the world and this entails living a life that looks different from many of their peers. We desire for them to live their lives in ways that brings glory to God. I hope that the life I live, although far from perfect, would serve as an example of what the Christian life can look like. This idea is the same with the Apostle Paul. He loves his church family with the same kind of love a father has for his children. Paul exhorts and encourages the followers of Jesus in Thessalonica to “Live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy.” Or as the ESV says, “walk in a manner worthy of God.” Paul is calling these believers to reflect the character of God in their lives in how they live and conduct their lives, because they are committed to Him. Notice Paul does not proceed with a list of dos and don’ts for Christian living. He doesn’t give them a list of commands to follow and rules to keep, he simply tells them to walk in a manner worthy of God. He didn’t elaborate on what that meant so they apparently knew what he meant. Now, he is not telling them to walk in a manner or of God so they will be accepted by God, acceptance by God is not something that is earned. The worthy manner is a response to God who has called them to be his children. They are called to walk in a worthy manner not SO they will be accepted by God, but because they ARE accepted by God through faith in Jesus Christ. Paul exhorts and encourages the Thessalonians to walk in a manner worthy of God, and as I stated already, his recipients most likely understood what he meant. But this brings up a question for us, “How does one walk in a worthy manner before God today?” What are some practicalsteps can we take to walk in a way that reflects the God we love, worship, and serve? I understand Paul does not give a list of “how to walk in a worthy manner” but I feel it might be helpful to share a few practical insights I have found helpful for me in living a life that is honorable to God.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Jeff has been in full-time ministry for thirty years. He currently serves as Executive Director at Anchor House Ministry at SeaPort Manatee in Palmetto, FL and he is a part-time Campus Pastor at West Bradenton Southside in Bradenton, Florida.
Jeff Has authored A Lent Devotional (A Spiritual Journey to Lent) an Advent Devotional (The Advent of Jesus) and a devotional on the book of James (James: Where Faith and Life Meet). All three are available on Amazon. He is married to Carrie and they have four children, Micaiah, Gabe, Simon, and Berea. Preview or purchase Jeff's Books
Archives
September 2024
Categories |
RSS Feed