Love Come to Life

1 Thessalonians 4:9-12

Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other...yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

There is such blessing to be counted when we're within a community of believers. There is a brother/sisterhood that runs deeper than blood. A bond of three strands and a common foundation that makes our encounters and conversations so sweet! There is comfort and a place of rest. A refuge from pain, a safety to be vulnerable, and an honesty that makes us grow. Christians can breath life and truth into one another. Matthew 18:20 tells us, "Where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." Coffee dates, bible studies, small groups, and Sunday gatherings bless us, and Jesus promises He dwells with us in those times. But He wants to see more than comfort in His faithful children. We are meant to connect. 

When I came to faith as a young teenager, I had a misconception about my unbelieving friends. Instead of viewing them as my Jerusalem, I saw them as the enemy. I chose to do life alone instead of having non-christian friends. Such drastic measures may be required for a young Christian with an immature faith. But a point comes when it's time to re-enter the world of the lost. A time to leave the comfort of the faithful and connect with the unbelievers God has put in our life.

"...so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders..." - Thessalonians 4:12a

There is a Big Daddy Weave song called "Love Come to Life". The chorus says, "Bring your love to life inside of me. Why don't you break my heart till it moves my hands and feet. For the hopeless and the broken, for the ones who don't know that you love them, bring your love to life inside of me." Each of us has a Jerusalem; a mission field that God has purposely placed us in! That's a gift. Yes, we get to fill our cup within our community of Christians. But then we leave and immerse ourselves within our workplace and communities to be a light in the world and a city on a hill. I read a powerfully convicting quote recently, and it's worth sharing:

"If you are not concerned about your neighbor's salvation, then I am concerned for yours." - Ray Comfort

In Thessalonians, God tells us to love more, live quietly, mind our own business and work with our hands. Our daily lifestyle will give the outside world a glimpse of Christ, and open the door to connect. That's the beginning of a friendship God will bless, and if we love with the intention of displaying Christ, He will do the rest.