2:9 You remember our labor and toil, brothers and sisters;
we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you
while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.
2:10 You are witnesses, and God also, how pure, upright, and
blameless our conduct was toward you believers.
2:11 As you know, we dealt with each one of you like a
father with his children,
2:12 urging and encouraging you and pleading that you lead a
life worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
2:13 We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that
when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you
accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God's
word, which is also at work in you believers.
I was challenged by Paul from this reading to walk as He walked.
It's hard to be able to point to my own life as Paul did and
challenge people, "follow me as I follow Christ." But that's why the
Thessalonians accepting the word of God as from God, and not from
human, since they see that Word lived out through Paul, and other
believers. I pray that God would help me to live His word, so that
my main illustrations for what I talk would be how I talk. That I
would experience His power personally, encounter His signs and
wonders in my own life.
I WISH I can talk to my group this way:
A) You can see how I live my life, that I work or study not to
advance my carreer (I am a full time programmer), but for the
advancement of the Kingdom of God. B) You can see that I walk what I
talk about Christ, I experience not only the grace of God who
forgave me, but also experience the power to live a vitorious life
through Him. C) You can see the love and care I have for each one of
you, that I am not just "doing my job", but I was "moved by
compassion" and pour out my heart to you. D) You can see that I do
all I can to equip you so your full potential according to God's
plan will be materialized, that you yourself will come to full
maturitity, walking as Jesus walk and making other disciples, who in
turn was sucessfully making disciples. E) You can see all of this
with Thanksgiving and Joy, since this is the best evidence that God
is currently working among our group, changing my life, changing
your life and the lives of others.
As I said above, that was what I WISH I could talk to the group. I
don't have that much confident that I was setting a *solid* example.
Oh God, please help me to live my life worthy for You, a life that
point people to you, bring encouragement to them and glory to You. A
life that helping others to live their lives to influence others for
You.
CoHo, SantaAna
I used to think I knew what it meant to set a solid Christian
example before my congregation. But, I'm not so sure any more. It's
tough to have the mind of Christ. To walk in Paul's foot-steps and
not forget you are a real, living and breathing person too. I think
I do harm to my congregation when I set myself too far apart from
them and the way they live their lives. To the person in the pew
(and behind the pulpit too), living as Paul lived, or having the
mind of Christ seems over-whelmingly impossible.
I think the issue behind this text boils down to the issue of
integrity - as it does in the Gospel reading. Integrity doesn't call
me to lead a perfect life. It calls me to know my values and
priorities, and to order my life by them. Having integrity means I
am striving to do this, and I am constantly monitoring myself. I
haven't attained the goal, I am working to reach it. The difference
may appear to be subtle to you, but it is helpful to me.
