Ever have one of those days where everything that could go wrong does? You wake up late, spill your coffee, pull out of your driveway only to find you have a flat tire; you change your tire, get your clean shirt dirty… and all before 9:00 am.
There are times I am reading God’s word and have some pretty goofy thoughts pop into my head. In 1 Thessalonians 3, when Paul is writing to the church in Thessalonica about the trials that they will experience, I have found myself thinking “trials…wait until they hear about the day I had.” I know, it’s absurd and I’m not proud of it. This got me thinking about trials that they would have been facing, as well as trials that we face today. We just had a team from Beaverton Foursquare return home from China after facilitating a week-long outreach soccer camp. Hearing the stories about the Christian persecution and the oppression that takes place in the nation really allowed me to put into perspective the trials that I face. While God does not belittle our thoughts or the unique trials we face in our own lives, I am greatly impacted thinking about the faith and truth that other persecuted Christians throughout the world must cling to.
Paul knew the trials that the early Christians would be facing, and thought it best to send Timothy to them to strengthen and encourage them in their faith. This portion of scripture is what really started me down a path of conversation and prayer.
In the midst of a difficult situation, ranging from financial difficulties to relational issues, I find myself looking for tangible, logical solutions. I very much have a “fix-it” personality type, whether or not it is my problem to fix. I find myself exhausting all my logical approaches. There are times when I am in the middle of looking for a solution, and God will bring someone into my path who will offer an encouraging word or even a spiritual challenge. I’ll be honest, that is normally not the thing that I want to hear when I am in this “fix-it” mode. It can almost feel like the words of encouragement are an inconvenience, slowing me down from solving things on my own.
As I have taken some time to think and meditate on this portion of 1 Thessalonians, there are a few things God has called me out on: He already knows the trials that I am, and what I am having to deal with. Though my challenges may not be the same as those of the early church, or those who face far greater persecution today, God still values me, and does not belittle my needs. Secondly, God created me and knows even more about my fixt-it tendencies than I do. He knows that there will be times when I need another believer to encourage, strengthen, and point me towards him in the midst of whatever it is I am dealing with.
I am learning that I need to be more accepting of this encouragement — especially when I’m being challenged to allow God to be the answer. I can be so caught up in my own world at times that stopping to be prayed for can seem like an inconvenience rather than a blessing. Having grown up in the church, my mind knows where I am supposed to turn my eyes for help; sometimes it’s difficult to let my heart grasp the same truth when I am in the middle of fixing something. I am realizing I need to allow others in my life to help point me back to a place of surrender. I need to be a humble recipient of the strength and encouragement that is offered to me.
Finally, as I have had the chance to receive encouragement and strength from others, I need to be one who offers that same encouragement to those around me. Part of that comes from embracing the strength and encouragement mentioned above. I can’t give what I don’t have. I am so blessed to be surrounded by those who will support and lift me up when I am in need, and I desire to give that same gift away.
I pray that we can be a body of believers that lifts each other up, offering strength, prayer and encouragement in the midst of our trials and challenges.
Thanks for reading,
Ryan
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