Today’s Reading | 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13
Love for People
On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your love for people? If 10 was perfect, a Christlike love for people, and 1 was no love for people at all, where would you place yourself? How does your rating compare to the love Paul demonstrated in today’s passage? He told the Thessalonians that he longed to see them and be with them. When he was apart from them, he missed them. Do you love people in this way? He wanted to encourage them in their faith. His desire was to help them move forward in their walks with God. Do you love people this way? He continually thought about them and was concerned that they might be tempted and led astray. He was filled with a desire to keep them from falling. Do you have this kind of concern for the people in your world? When he heard about their growth and how faithful they were in their walks with God, he rejoiced. To know that they were growing gave him joy even in the midst of personal difficulty. We often live our day to day lives only concerned about ourselves and unwilling to care for the needs of others. Look at Paul’s example and compare it to your life. What conclusions do you come to?
Today’s Questions
Say What?
In what ways do you demonstrate this kind of love for people?
So What?
In what ways can you improve in your love for people?
Now What?
What steps can you take to begin improving in this area?
Then What?
In light of this passage, what personal commitment can you make?