1 Thessalonians 1:3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

I have liked this verse for a long time, because it expresses some things about how we can live as Christians, differently from those who don’t know Christ. In the first place, there would be no reason for us to do the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:12) if we didn’t have faith. Those who balk at it quite possibly don’t really believe that Jesus, the divine Son of God, came to earth to be born as a human being and take the penalty for the sins of all human beings to redeem us. If we really do believe that, how can we not serve Him? However, there are also differences in degree. Paul uses both “work” and “labor” here. We won’t really put our all into it unless we recognize God’s love for us and love Him in return, allowing His love to flow through us to the people around us. There is no substitute for love. And all of that can get long and exhausting, so we need the hope of what God has promised us in Christ Jesus our Lord. Hope is the next theme we’ll be reading on, from the middle of September. This verse will come up under that, too! Simply keeping up with the news of all that’s going on in the world, particularly with how much news we can get in this information age, can certainly be exhausting. We need the hope of our Lord’s return, of His setting everything right, even to get us past the headlines of the day. However, all these things are available to us in Christ by His Spirit, so we have every reason to rejoice in peace, whatever is going on around us.

This is something I’ve been aware of for a long time. I’ve been a self-supporting independent missionary for 45 years, so I know about the work and labor! I’m also rather an information junkie, trying to take it all in, so I am acutely aware of the need for hope. If I didn’t have faith, hope, and love (1 Corinthians 13:13) I would have given up a long time ago! When I turn 78 in a couple of weeks, I don’t know how much longer the Lord will keep me here, but I am assured that He has things for me to do, and I know, both from the Bible and from experience, that He will provide everything I need to do them. Therefore, just as He told me personally to do, I’m to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him, so that He may be glorified as His will is done in and through me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your grace to me on so many, many levels. Help me respond fully and appropriately to that grace at all times, as an example to all who see me, drawing them too to repentance and faith for their salvation, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!