Examples

“So you received the message (of Jesus) with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord. As a result, you have become an example ... And the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere ... for everywhere we go we find people telling us about your faith in God ..." 
I Thessalonians 1:6-8

One of my near daily prayers for my children, and myself for that matter, is that they "shine a bright light." No fading into the crowd. No  - just like everyone else. Stand up. Stand out ... for all the right reasons. The opportunity to both influence and be influenced is there every single day. The heart of my prayer for my family is that they would be influenced by the good and that they would influence others for the better.

When Paul wrote this letter to this church in Thessalonica, he marveled at their example. Everywhere he went, people were talking about this church. They were Christ followers like none other. They were standing strong when persecuted. They rejected the godless patterns of life of all those around them. They were, simply put, examples.

Another time, Paul would write, "Follow me as I follow Christ." Bold. Very bold. Are we people who others could follow because we're following Christ? Don't think perfect. Paul wasn't perfect. He was faithful. The pattern of his life was Jesus-centered. He got there, we get there by living in pursuit of Him. We may work at our jobs. We may be in active families. We may be involved in many different arenas of life. Great. The question is, "Who or what is the greatest desire of our heart?" The answer to that question will determine the brightness or the dimness of our light.

Grace and Peace,

Tom Wiles
tom@fallcreekchristian.org

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