July 27- 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

THE VERSE

We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
~1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

THE THOUGHT

Yesterday we started unpacking Paul's "faith, hope, and love" statement here by looking at how faith works. Today, we will turn our attention to the next virtue, love. Love, described here in 1 Thessalonians, is more than a feeling, more than an emotion. According to today's verse, love labors.

Love labors. It is not content to simply sit back and feel warm fuzzy feelings for another. It is not an inclination to be kind, or a desire for another person's wellbeing. It is an action, working for another person's wellbeing, stooping low to be kind, and putting warm feelings into concrete action. Love gets up early, goes to bed late, holds open doors, washes dishes, goes out of its way, inconveniences itself, and little by little lays down its life. The word "labor" suggests hard work, a continual effort.

Love is a labor because it goes against our natural inclinations. We are by nature proud and self-centered, and it takes Holy Spirit-enabled obedience to truly delight in stooping down to wash another's feet, to put them in front of us. We need the model of Jesus blazed into our souls, who did not love us from afar but demonstrated his love by laying down his life and dying for us while we were still sinners. That is what a labor of love looks like, and that is the kind of lifestyle that believers are called to.


THE PRAYER

Jesus, Thank you for Your labor of love on my behalf. Thank you for demonstrating Your love, for laying down Your life. Thank you for every day of Your earthly life, living and dying to earn my righteousness and buy my pardon. Thank you for every day of Your heavenly life since then, pleading my cause, interceding for Your bride. Fill me with Your Spirit so that I can love like You do.

EXTENDED READING

1 Thessalonians 1:1-6
Romans 5:6-8
John 15:12-17
1 John 3:16-18

THE QUOTE

"Grace is God's willingness not only to condescend to our creaturely finitude even to the point of assuming our flesh, but to give His life for us 'while we were still enemies.'"  ~Michael Horton



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