Living life

We were thinking about 1 Thessalonians 2 in home group last night where Paul defends the gospel and himself by calling God and the Thessalonians to remember how they had lived while they shared the gospel with them.

I was particularly struck by verse 8 "We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us." Paul and his team had worked whilst in Thessalonika tent making so that they would not be accused of exploitation and greed. And as they had lived and worked among the Thessalonians they had shared their lives with them, those lives were what gave the gospel credence. It made the love that they had for the Thessalonians real, it made the message real. I can imagine the Thessalonians thinking; 'Wow they do really care for us look at how their lives show it, they're not like other peddlers of philosopher or ideas'.

It was as Paul shared his life with the Thessalonians that he shared the gospel with them with boldness (2) and daring. My biggest danger is of dividing my times into secular and sacred, this is my time for doing this, this is my diary or PDA allocated time for doing that. Actually the challenge of Thessalonians is that it shows us Paul, Silas and Timothy 24/7 sharing their lives and therefore the gospel with those around them. There is no secular/sacred divide. They shares their lives with the Thessalonians as they seek to win them for the gospel.