² We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. ³ We continually 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. ⁴ For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, ⁵ because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. ⁶ You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. ⁷ And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. ⁸ The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, ⁹ for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, ¹⁰ and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. ^[1]

What marvelous words of affirmation Paul writes about the believers in Thessalonica. He applauds them for their faith but also gives a glimpse of the themes he will address in his letter. They are “the character of the gospel messengers (v. 5b), the conversion of the Thessalonians (vv. 6, 9–10), the results of their conversion (vv. 3, 7–8), the sufferings they and the apostles endured (v. 6), the mission of the church (v. 8), and their eschatological hope (v. 10).^[2] Each of these themes is addressed at length in other parts of the letter.

What excites my attention to this letter is the emphasis Paul places on relationships with the believers. His knowledge of them is intimate. He knows them well because he lived and suffered among them. They did what many in the modern church do not want to do, they became imitators of Paul and joyfully welcomed the good news of the gospel even though they were enduring intense persecution. Their faith was so commendable that other believers in the region began to emulate them. I think these verses offer a tremendous challenge to those who would answer the call to gospel service. We are more than preachers and teachers. We are gospel messengers that point the way through our words and our deeds.

Dear Father, serving You is often easier than serving Your people. It is not always easy to live under a glass top. Our every action is observed, analyzed and critiqued. Our families often suffer, faint and fail under the scrutiny. But You have called us and we have answered, and we will go. Help us to be the models You desire us to be and the Church needs us to be. Never allow us to grow weary, but strengthen us to be even more effective as we advance the gospel message. Amen.