Thursday, February 12, 2015

Scented Letters and Shoring Up

Good morning!

Can you think of a time when you have received good news in the mail, whether snail mail or e-mail? Perhaps it was a letter of acceptance into a college of your choice.  Perhaps it was a tax return check. Perhaps it was a letter from a friend or loved one, sharing good news.

One of my earliest memories of this was when I was a middle schooler.  I had a pen pal from a previous meeting at summer camp.  Day after day I waited for the mail, to see if a letter had arrived. When I got those letters, that good news, it was a joyous day!  Not only did the envelopes smell good; the words they contained brought such joy!  In our present day of nearly instant communication, we have lost some of this anticipation and pleasure.

At any rate, this is the type of joy Paul is describing here in 1 Thessalonians 3.  As the spiritual mentor of the church at Thessalonica, Paul was eager to hear about how they were doing, whether they had experienced persecution and how they had come through it.

For this reason, when I could no longer stand it, I also sent him {Timothy} to find out about your faith, fearing that the tempter had tempted you and that our labor might be for nothing.

Timothy, Paul's young apprentice in the faith, traveled to Thessalonica to check on the folks there. He returned to Paul with a very good report - - good news!

But now Timothy has come to us from you and brought us good news about your faith and love ...

Paul joyfully thanks God for these young disciples (vs. 9) and goes on to say that he continues to pray for the fledgling church, that God will "complete what is lacking in your faith".  The chapter ends with a beautiful benediction/prayer, in which Paul prays that God will make their hearts blameless in holiness before their God and Father at Christ's return (vs. 13).

12 And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow with love for one another and for everyone, just as we also do for you. 13 May He make your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. Amen.

Two of the greatest blessings in the resplendent walk are to be mentored by another believer and to mentor others in the faith.  Another word for "mentoring" is "discipling".  This dynamic symbiosis is a powerful force in the Christian church.  However, I am afraid that, all too often, we shun it. American individualism kicks in and we try to "go it alone".  Is your church guilty of "getting 'em saved" and then "letting them languish"?  Paul confessed in this passage that his relationship with the Thessalonicans encouraged him, even as he discipled them.  God uses His Holy Spirit in both parties to grow their faith, to help each other when faith falters (vs. 10, The Message), to "shore them up". God uses His people to build one another up in the faith.  Farther on in this same letter, Paul exhorts the church at Thessalonica in this regard (5:11) - - -

Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

What does that expression mean, to "shore up"?  The expression is from the 1300s in Europe, and means "to buttress", "to prop up and make safe".  As Paul puts it "to complete what is lacking".

Who is/are your spiritual mentor(s)?  Who encourages you and shores you up in your faith?  In whom are you investing?  Are you discipling a newer, younger believer?  If your answer is "Er-r-r-r....." to either of those questions, let me encourage you to "plug in" more deliberately to your local congregation in order to be used by God in this way.  You do have something to contribute, even in spite of troubles, past failures, current hindrances.  Don't let the enemy talk you out of it.  God wants to bless you and to use you to bless others.

I was talking to one of our church's widows on the phone the other day.  It was quite "by accident" (?!).  She had intended to call someone else; but, at any rate, God was in it.  She lost her husband suddenly, a couple of years ago.  As we talked, at one point, I had to laugh.  She said something like this:  "I have got to get out of this house and get more involved.  Just sitting around here, reading my Bible and petting my cat is not going to get it!"

Talk to the Lord about both of these avenues of discipleship today and ask him to show you where "shoring up" is needed.  Pray for opportunities to "shore up" another believer.  These may come from the most unlikely of sources - - - even an unexpected phone call!  They may be brief, one-time encounters; or, they may be long-term commitments.  Either way, this is part of our calling.  We are not called to hoard our faith, but rather, to exercise it in ministry to others.  Then, ask where you need "shoring up" and ask God to lead you to those who can be an encouragement, a buttress, a spiritual mentor to you.

Dear God, "make me a blessing, make me a blessing!  Out of my life, may Jesus shine!"  I'm thinking of the lyrics to that old gospel song this morning. http://www.hymnlyrics.org/newlyrics_m/make_me_a_blessing.php
But Father, help us to remember that "we can't give what we ain't got".  We need discipling too! Please lead us to one or more spiritual mentors, who can invest in and encourage us today as well.
In Jesus' name, amen.

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