Imitation and Encouragement
June 13
It can be very dangerous to imitate someone. But the key is who you are trying to imitate. Paul doesn’t hesitate to praise the Thessalonians for imitating him and his partners, (1 Thessalonians 1:6) and he goes further in 1 Corinthians 11:1 to tell them to imitate him as he imitated Jesus.
Paul thanks the Thessalonians for their openness to the Gospel and their dedication to his ministry. Their support was not just a shallow, passing support, despite severe persecution. It was so impactful that he says that every time he and his companions pray, they pray for and thank God for this church. (1 Thessalonians 1:2) He says that the Gospel came to them in tangible ways: not in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with full assurance. And they received it as such.
But not only did they receive the gospel so wholeheartedly, but they also spread the Gospel beyond themselves, as well. (1 Thessalonians 1:7–9)
Application
How often do you make mention of other believers in your prayers? Are there some particular people whom you remember in your prayers? In what ways do you encourage them? A simple text, letter, or phone call goes a long way to speak life into other believers.
And when someone encourages you with a card or something similar, do you read it and then drop it in the trash? How about creating an “encouragement file” where you can save those encouraging words? I have benefited a lot from occasionally browsing through the contents of my “encouragement file” folder.