2 Thessalonians 1:4

2 Thessalonians 1:4

Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.

To boast in the persecutions and trials that another is experiencing may seem backwards and wrong. To actually glory in the struggles that another is facing may seem, at first, inappropriate and unjust. But what if the trials and persecutions that another person is battling are to the glory of God? What if that other person is facing hardships and challenges because they are faithfully serving the Lord? What if by their struggles, they are providing a great witness to the rest of the world of what it looks like to be a disciplined servant of the Lord? What if the battle is being used by the Lord to further the Gospel and the Kingdom of God? In the text above, Paul is giving thanks to the church in Thessalonica for the way they are remaining committed to the faith despite the troubles they are facing. He is giving thanks to God, and spreading the news to others churches that the church in Thessalonica is standing firm in the faith, despite being persecuted for it. The Thessalonian people are a great witness to the rest of the world…they are a people that are refusing to bend when the fire gets hot…a people that are remaining committed to the Gospel and their faith in Christ, despite overwhelming odds. And even today, hundreds of years later, we still read this text and draw strength from the example they set…we draw confidence in knowing that if the Thessalonians could endure and remain committed, then maybe today we can too. As believers, we believe that the Lord leads our steps…we believe that God is intimately involved in our lives, shaping the current day and outlining the days ahead. We believe nothing happens “by chance” or “by coincidence”, but rather that everything is planned out meticulously by our Creator (remember Luke 12:7). Therefore as believers we have the privilege of knowing that the struggles we are facing today are known by the Creator and the Creator will use them to bring glory to his kingdom. We have the joy in knowing that the hardship we face today is not our battle alone, but that the Almighty God battles with us. We have the hope in knowing that today’s pain is only temporary and that a great victory, and great rest, awaits us at the finish line. All we have to do is remain steadfast in our faith, putting one foot in front of the next, and trusting…really, deeply trusting…that the Lord has us in his arms and will carry us safely through to the end. It’s almost guaranteed to not be easy, but it is most certainly be worth it. May we remain firmly committed to serving the Lord, both today and in the days to come, never losing hope and forever clinging to the promises made by our Creator. To God alone be all glory!