Because of You

How we thank God for you! Because of you we have great joy as we enter God’s presence. Night and day we pray earnestly for you, asking God to let us see you again to fill the gaps in your faith. – 1 Thessalonians 3:9-10 (NLT) 

Apart from the bonds of family relations, there are few other bonds that are as steady and enduring as the bonds of fellowship developed between believers who connect through shared involvement in church.  

The Gospel of Matthew records Jesus telling an audience, “Anyone who gives up family or property for the sake of my gospel shall receive a hundred times more.” Following Jesus into new life has always come at a cost. Many have paid in the currencies of severe social ostracism, financial disruption, and family rejection.  

Yet the journey with Jesus is not without joy and lots of joyous people.  

When the Apostle Paul and his companions Timothy and Silas came to the ancient Greek port city of Thessalonica, they were not only reeling from the hazards of extensive travel. They were engaged in the spiritually seismic struggle to advance the universal gospel of love and inclusion within the parochial pockets of narrow piety and religious legalism. 

But in the community of believers at Thessalonica, Paul and his assistants didn’t just find proselytes; they found friends. They didn’t just make religious converts; they made loving covenants. They didn’t just worship together; they became one in the Spirit together. 

They looked forward to seeing each other. They prayed for each other constantly. They checked on one another regularly. They had genuine affection for each other. They became family for each other.  

Church life isn’t always pretty. But the friendships, the family ties, the communal and spiritual connections made through church fellowship can sure make a life a hundred times better.  

Prayer
Lord, thank you for the relationships I have among fellow servants that keep me inspired and connected. Amen.

About the Author
Kenneth L. Samuel is Pastor of Victory for the World Church, Decatur, Georgia.