9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. 11 For you know how, like a father with his children, 12 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.
13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
Paul and his companions literally worked night and day. This can be seen as an expression of continual work but that’s not what Paul means. Paul worked as a tentmaker to earn a living and then worked to minister to the Thessalonians. He worked a day job and then gave his evenings and weekends to minister and share the gospel. He did this so he wouldn’t be a burden to any of them. All he wanted was for them to hear the pure gospel without any taint that might come from having to support him at the same time. His motive was pure. He was like a father who did everything he could to encourage and exhort them to live lives that were worthy of God. God deserves us to serve Him with everything we have. Paul showed this by working to support himself as well as evangelising, discipling and church-planting. The gospel was his life. He was incredibly thankful that they received the word of God, not as ideas from men, but what it really is, the word of God.
If we’re going to live lives worthy of God, then ministry shouldn’t be something we just fit into our spare time, it should be something of utmost importance. To really live lives worthy of God should result in our jobs existing to help us in ministry.
Do you view the Bible like the Thessalonians did? If you just see it as the ideas of men, then you might think it contains some truths. But if it is the word of God, then everything in it is truth and therefore we should do everything it tells us to do.