Wednesday 30 Jun 2021

June 30: 1 Thessalonians 1:4-6
 
Key Verse: 1 Thessalonians 1:6
You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.
 
Devotion:
When Paul wrote this letter to the church in Thessalonica, he wrote of the way they had lived their lives as imitators of Christ. When Jesus came to live amongst us, He did not set Himself up in a palace and rule over the people, he set aside everything and moved in with the people. He became part of the local community and lived with the people.
 
The Thessalonians were doing the same – they were setting their own lives apart and living for the people and with the people. They had set aside the rules of society where the rich do things differently and the poor must be kept in their place... they brought the people together as one and lived for God’s glory.
 
People see how we live. People watch how we behave... If we want to make a difference in our communities, then we have to make sure we live more like Christ and less like the world. How will people see anything different if all they see is the world through you. They should be seeing glimpses of Christ through you – they should be being encouraged to live in the same manner and turn their own lives toward God.
 
It is our duty to make a difference so people will see Christ as different from the world. This way they will be able to learn something new from the Holy Spirit and not just another human acting like all the other humans!
 
Points to Ponder:
How do people see you?
 
Will you try to reflect a bit more of Christ today?