1 Thessalonians 1

1Paul, Silas, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.

2We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. 3We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ

I think that we often times forget the importance of praying for our fellow Christians on a regular basis. At least in my own experience, it seems that I pray for those who ask for a specific prayer but I rarely find myself praying for those whom I have no specific concerns for. Paul, Silas, and Timothy remind us here that it is important to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ for their continued growth and that their efforts for the kingdom of God will be fruitful.

4For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.

It is amazing to think about the amazing power that the Lord has entrusted to us. The word, the gospel, has such great power to change lives, I think it is unrealized by many what a great gift and responsibility it is for Christians to use this power for the glory of God.

6You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 9for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

From my limited understanding of ancient nations and cities, I have gathered that Thessalonica was a haven for idol worship. It is an unbelievable phenomenon that these early Christians were able to stand up among their people and claim that there is only one true God. It is evident here that the story of these believers impacted people around the entire region. Taking a look at this from the perspective of the Thessalonians, it would seem that they proably did not know the impact they were making on other Christians. They were simply trying to serve God in a place where it was not easy to do so. Take a moment to consider how you serve God and the impact that your daily struggles have on observers you don't even know are watching.