Scripture to Read: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-2
God uses us to be salt and light in the lives of those who are around us. Sometimes being used by God seems a little overwhelming or maybe even fruitless. But, when we consider that God is being glorified in us and through us and that God uses His Word through us to change people, then our investment in others is incredibly rewarding. As God led Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to connect with the people in Thessalonica, we read in 1 Thessalonians 2:1 that when they were with the Thessalonians, that their time in Thessalonica was not fruitless, nor wasted. To understand why Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy went to Thessalonica in the first place is essential here. As we read in 1 Thessalonians 2:2, we learn that it was due to the heavy persecution these three had been undergoing in Philippi, where they had shared Christ with the people of Philippi and ended up planting a church in Philippi. Because of the persecution Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy were facing in Philippi, they went to Thessalonica and, of course, began sharing Christ with the Thessalonians and ended up planting a church in Thessalonica too. Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy did not let the persecution stop them or even slow them down, but they allowed God to use them amid the tests and trials they were going through. God wants us to follow their example and not let our circumstances stop us or slow us down from sharing Him with everyone we come across in this life.
Challenge & Application
1. What did God teach you today about how you should deal with the tests and trials of life?
2. Who will you share Christ with this week as you go about each day?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!