Your actions on behalf of the true faith, your tireless toil of love, and your unfailing, unwavering, unending hope in our Lord Jesus the Anointed before God our Father have put you consistently at the forefront of our thoughts. 1 Thessalonians 1:3 Voice
Hope wins when you put action to your faith, labor in love and remain steadfast in hope.
Have you ever been called on to do something you said you would never do? That was the case for me as we were preparing to take my husband home after 14 days in the hospital. Eight of those days were in ICU. Due to difficulties in swallowing he had a feeding tube and he continued to suction his saliva. He was pretty weak, as well, from being in bed for so many days. It would be an understatement to say that our lives changed drastically. I had the honor of caring for my late husband for the next two and half years before he moved to Heaven. It was a difficult and challenging time yet a season I would not trade. This combination of faith, love and hope became a reality in our lives.
Context
Paul wrote this letter to the church in Thessalonica. It was the second major church established on the European continent. This church was made up of people from a variety of Jews, Greeks, and women who were strong leaders. It was the first books in the New Testament to be written. Even though the Gospels described earlier events they were published later. Paul addresses his concerns for the state of their faith. This first chapter is full of joy for their faithfulness and vibrant testimony. It is a challenge to every single one of us to emulate their example of faith, and hope. We see this combination in many other places also.
Active Faith
You are saved by grace when you put your faith in Jesus. The result of that you naturally begin to find ways to put that faith into action. This foundation of faith must be strong and palpable. As brand new believers in they have been taught about the Messiah. The Greek word here is ‘istij’ that carries with it a conviction that is life changing. This is far more than mere mental assent. Active faith is filled with delight and joy in obedience. Faith opens up the ability to truly love. Our faith was tested each day as we prayed for my husband’s healing.
Demonstrative Love
When you love someone you can’t help but show it. You can do things that otherwise would be impossible. The first few times that I had to dump the saliva from the suction machine I almost threw up. I did it because I loved my husband and wanted to serve his needs. There is, however, an element of sadness connected with loving in the sense that we hurt when the one we love hurts. It was sad to see his gradual decline yet glorious to see his immense concern for others and the scope of his legacy expand every day. Faith became intertwined with the love I felt. Love lightens the load so that is not a burden but a joy to serve those we love.
Unwavering Hope
The original word used here is ‘upomonh’ and is the word that could best describe Bill. It speaks of endurance in the face of trials. It describes the person who through their deliberate purpose and loyalty of faith does not budge no matter how strong the resistance is against them. They remain steadfast and constant. There is an element of patience or steadfast waiting that sustains them in the midst of great suffering and big trials. There are big lessons to be learned in the day-to-day life of caregivers. They need this quality as they tirelessly take care of the needs of others. The Greek word for hope used in this verse is ‘elpis.’ It denotes the confidence that we can have that there will be a good outcome based on God’s promises. Hope is the extension of faith and allows us to truly put hands and feet to our love. That is why our hope does not fail, does not end and does not waver.
HOPE WINS!
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Author, speaker, corporate trainer, ordained minister and Hope Catalyst, Karen Sebastian enjoys sharing her rich life experiences with others – engaging them in adventurous discoveries of the beauty of hope in a dark, cloudy world. Her books will inspire you to embrace hope no matter what you are going through. To increase hope and improve relationships with yourself and those that you love, sign up to receive Karen’s emails.
