1 Thessalonians 5:14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

How many of us know a person who just tries our patience. No matter what they do, it just grades on your nerves. Maybe it is a young child who really does not know better or maybe it is that individual who works right around the corner. No matter who they are, they qualify as a person whom Paul is exhorting us to be patient with.

We all seem to think that our trials are unique and that we do not have to apply by the wise advice given to us by Paul in this passage. However, there are many stories in the Bible of godly men who were finding their patience being tried by an individual and they managed not to lose the credibility of their testimony.

When Absalom attacked Jerusalem, David found himself fleeing for his life. Shimei who was a relative of king Saul came out and started cursing David. Shimei was so obnoxious that David’s men wanted to kill him. However, David understood that God was the judge and he would not allow a hair on Shimei’s head be touched that day. David was patient and he allowed God to use Shimei to drive him to examine his heart to ensure that he had a right relationship with God.

Paul himself had an occasion where he found his patience being tried by a young lady who was possessed with a spirit. This young lady was constantly following Paul around proclaiming that Paul was a servant of God. This young lady was telling the truth, but she was doing it in such a way that it was hard for Paul to do his job. However, Paul did not allow himself to grow impatient with this young lady but instead he turned this difficult situation into an opportunity to minister.

When someone is getting on your nerves, this gives you an opportunity to check to see what God is doing. Is God using this person to draw you closer to HIM? If you believe that your relationship with God is in good order, then check to see if God desires you to minister unto this person. Start by asking God to show you what you can do to help this person who is driving you crazy.

We have heard that a pearl comes from a small irritation. When something finds its way into an oyster’s shell, the oyster will start to cover that object. As the oyster continues to cover the irritation, it is soon creating something that is very valuable. That thing that had no value all of a sudden became a pearl of great price.

Stop looking at the irritations in your life as something bad. Instead, look at these irritations as a gift from God. If you maintain a right attitude towards God, God can turn these irritations into something that gives glory and honor unto HIM. It is our job to be faithful to ensure that we do not let the irritations to destroy us.

It is hard being patient with someone who has done us harm. However, this is what we are being exhorted to do. It does not matter how unfair the situation seems to be, it is our job to obey God and make sure our circumstances are not allowed to control us. God has given HIS permission to allow this irritation to enter into our life and it is our job to first make sure that God is not trying to get our attention and then we can determine how we can turn this bad situation into a good situation for HIS glory.

1 Thessalonians 1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Fathers;

Paul is writing to the church at Thessalonica and he is telling them that he gives thanks for them always for the testimony of their lives. Paul does not simply flatter the church with vein words, but he gives the church three examples of their testimony in which he gives thanks to God for. Paul is thankful for the faith, the love, and the patience demonstrated by the church.

This is another passage in which hope and patience are linked together. If there is something you want really bad, it is hard to be patient. However, this is exactly the position that the church in Thessalonica found itself in; they desired to see the return of Jesus Christ. The Church in Thessalonica understood the hope that Christ was coming again one day soon. However, even though they knew that Christ was coming, they did not allow their focus to become obsessed with the desire of their heart.

Instead, the Church in Thessalonica learned to live for today by being patient regarding the hope that they had within them. Rather than focus all their attention upon someday Christ coming back, they continued in the faith and labored in love so that their testimony was seen by all. This church hoped for the return of Christ, but they learned to be patient so that God was glorified through their lives.

In the book Pilgrims Progress, there is a time when Christian sees a path that is going right alongside the path that he is taking. The other path on the other side of the fence is much better and would be easier to walk on. The other path appears to be going the same direction that he was going so the next thing you know, Christian takes the different path and soon finds himself in trouble.

Christian had the hope of one day getting to the Celestial city. However, rather than take the path that was given to him to follow, Christian chose to get to the Celestial city his own way. Because Christian was not patient in pursuing the hope that lied within him, he soon found himself in trouble. There is much we can learn from the story of Christian.

Satan will always be quick to show us ways that we can get out of our own problems in our own strength. We will think that we are being spiritual in that we are helping God take care of our problems. However, even though God has given us hope, we can never escape the trials that God brings into our lives in our own strength and expect that we will receive the blessings of God in our lives.

God knows what is best. God’s timing is rarely going to be the same as your timing. When you understand what God desires you to do, you probably want to see it happen right away. Nonetheless, God often desires that you wait a while and develop patience so that your life will better reflect the light of God.

Do not allow your focus to become consumed by the thing that you hope for. Instead, learn how to labor for Christ in your present situation so that God receives the glory. God understands the bigger picture. If you are hoping for something, continue to wait patiently and do not try to make it happen in your own strength. Instead, allow God to work through you so that your life is a testimony to others.

I Thessalonians 1:3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

Paul thanked God that the church of Thessalonica was growing in the faith and that there was love one to another that was abundant. Paul understood the principle of encouraging others and thus he started off his letter to them letting them know the things that they were doing right and that they needed to continue doing in their lives.

Just as a newborn baby does not stay the same size the rest of their life, so to must we continue to grow in the faith. However, unlike humans when there comes a time that we stop growing, that day should never happen with regards to our faith. God has given us a spiritual journey and he does not want you to stop until HE calls you home. It is your duty to God to every day draw closer to HIM. Your faith and relationship with God should be better today then it was yesterday. Your relationship with God should be better next year then it is today.

Spiritual growth is very important. Just because you have heard from God one day, it does not mean that there is nothing else for you to learn. God has many rich and deep truths for you to learn. It is HIS desire that you continue to seek HIM and HE will draw you closer to HIM. Enoch allowed his relationship with God to be so close that God simply took him home without death. Enoch strived to walk with God and he did walk with God.

As long as you are marching forward for the cause of Christ and increasing your faith, it will be harder for Satan to cause you to sin. However, as soon as you stop moving forward and stop growing in the faith, you will be in a position where Satan can more easily cause you to stumble. Think of it this way. If you are standing still on a busy sidewalk and someone ran straight into you, which direction would you go? Most likely you would step backwards, the direction that you were bumped. Now think that you are walking forward on that same busy sidewalk and someone ran into as before, which direction would you go? Most likely you would not go backwards. Possibly both of you will come to a dead stop, or possibly it would bounce to the right or the left.

Your ability to continue to grow in the faith is necessary in order for you to avoid many temptations that you face. If you stop growing, you are giving Satan the opportunity to cause you to stumble and fall short of the glory of God, tarnishing your testimony. Your growing in the faith is one of the tools you need in order to ensure that you can do many great things for HIM.

Stop and examine your life today. Do you feel that you have grown in the faith over the last week, last month, or the last year? If not, what do you need to do in order to ensure that you are drawing closer to God? Paul commended the church in Thessalonica for their growth in the faith. It is time that you start putting more emphasis in your spiritual growth. You cannot afford to continue to just get by spiritually. Instead, your spiritual life needs to continue to grow. Grow in the faith so that you are able to overcome the temptations of the evil one. Grow in the faith and please your Creator.

I Thessalonians 5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

This verse sounds very similar to the passage in Ephesians six which deals with the armor of God. However, in Ephesians six, there are six different pieces of armor mentioned whereas this verse only lists two. In Paul’s list in Ephesians, the breastplate is righteousness. Both lists have the helmet represented by salvation. The list in Ephesians puts faith as a shield. The Ephesians list does not mention love.

While these two lists may be different, they do not contradict. In both of these passages, Paul is using something that people of that day see and understand in order to illustrate an important point. You could be speaking to someone today and make the analogy that someone was so fast they were like a Ferrari. Tomorrow, you could be speaking to someone and be talking about something expensive and you could analogize the expensive item to a Ferrari. Neither analogy is incorrect and neither analogy contradicts the other analogy.

In this verse, Paul is analogizing the breastplate that a soldier wears to a Christian’s faith and love. A breastplate is designed to protect a soldier’s heart and vital organs. Your adversary the devil would like to destroy your relationship with the Lord. Satan would love to ruin your love for the Lord and make it impossible for you to serve HIM. Paul is letting you know that it is your faith and your love that will protect you from falling into sin. Your faith in God is a shied to quench Satan’s fiery darts; it is also your breastplate to protect your heart.

God has given you the tools to protect yourself from Satan’s attacks. Your faith in God as you learn to trust and obey HIM will give you the strength that you need to overcome the attacks of Satan. While faith alone can assist you, Paul illustrates here that your faith needs help and that help comes from love. Your faith and your love enable you to defend yourself better.

A five-year-old boy could love his father, but if the boy is sitting on top of a roof and his father is telling him to jump and he does not do so, the boy is demonstrating a lack of faith and obedience. That same boy could obey his father all day long but not love his father because he is angry and upset over something and the boy is simply obeying because he has no other choice.

Your faith and your love are two elements that when mixed together enables you to withstand Satan’s attacks. Just because you have faith and love, it does not mean that you are immune from Satan’s attack. Instead, what it means is that you are better equipped to withstand the attacks and the better equipped you are to withstand, the better position you will be to overcome.

If you would like to sin less, then you need to live your faith and your love. God has given you the tools to overcome temptation. Each time you sin and fall short of the glory of God, you are demonstrating your lack of faith and love to God. Satan is not quick to give up. Draw near to God and use HIS tools to do many great things for HIM.

I Thessalonians 3:10 Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?

Paul prayed that one day he would come back to the church of Thessalonica so that he might work with them once again. He desired to be with them in order to help them grow spiritually. Paul understood that while he could write a letter to encourage them, it was not the same as a personal visit. Paul could only write so much. He would be able to cover much more ground if he was present. Paul knew that this church was doing well, but that it could do even better.

Paul’s prayer to visit Thessalonica was not because he saw a major problem that demanded his attention. Paul’s prayer to visit was because he saw great potential for the Lord that Paul desired to develop. Paul desired to assist this church continue to grow closer to God and it became a prayer that he constantly prayed before God.

Are you looking for opportunities to work with others and assist them in growing closer to God? Are you praying night and day for God to give you opportunities to draw others closer to HIM? This is what Paul was doing. He saw potential and he began to ask God to give him the opportunity to work with this church and bring them closer to God.

Paul could have spent his time praying for many things. He could have prayed night and day for God to remove his thorn in the flesh. Paul could have prayed that he could go back to Jerusalem. Rather then pray for something for himself, Paul’s concern was for the things of the Lord and how he might be more effective for the Lord. Paul was persistent in his prayer that he desired to build the faith of the church of Thessalonica.

You should be looking at those God has put in your life and ask God to assist you in helping them draw closer to God. In addition to growing closer to God yourself, you should realize that you are not the only person in this world and that God desires to use you to help others draw closer to HIM. Be willing for others to stretch you and help you draw you closer to God.

You are not perfect and your faith can be increased. Seek out those individuals you know who have great faith and learn from them and see how God might cause you to draw closer to HIM. In the same way that you seek to perfect your own faith, be willing to help others perfect their faith.

The closer you and others are to the Lord, the easier it will be for the world to see that you are a Christian and that you have something that they need. You need to be looking for opportunities to not only grow yourself but for others to grow closer to God. Your ministry and effectiveness for God is greatly dependent upon the perfection of your faith.

Paul’s desire was to assist the church and see that they were affective for the Lord. Paul prayed that the Lord would use him to help others. You too should be looking for those who God has placed in your life that you can minister to. Your prayers should be continually before God asking HIM to allow you to be more affective on this earth. Do not spend your time seeking things that you consume, but instead, ask for those things that if the Lord gives you, will increase your effectiveness for HIM.

I Thessalonians 3:7-8 Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith: For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.

Your testimony does have an affect upon others. You may not think that anyone is paying attention to your life, but those around you will see the choices you make. The world is paying special attention to what you are doing since they are determining whether there is something different in your life that it makes it worth the effort to change. Your fellow believers also need encouragement as you testify how the Lord has been with you and seen you through certain situations.

One of the purposes of your Christian walk is to live your life pleasing to God as a demonstration to others in how they too can live their lives for HIM. Your testimony of faith when shared with other believers should encourage them to desire a closer walk with God. In addition, after hearing about your faith, other Christians ought to be encouraged to demonstrate more faith in their own life.

Two siblings have convinced themselves that the attic in their house is haunted. Mother asks the older one to go up to the attic to bring back a particular box. The younger seeing the older come back with no problems should ease some concern when his mother asks him to go pick up another box.

Testimonies are an important part of your Christian life. Your testimony is stories of how God has seen you through certain situations. If you share your testimony with others, it should encourage them that God is still alive. Paul was greatly encouraged at hearing the testimony of the church of Thessalonica that they were not yielding to temptation. Paul may have been a stronger Christian then the Christians of the church of Thessalonica, but nonetheless, the testimony of the church still encouraged him and gave him hope.

The closer to God you are, the greater the demonstrations of HIS working through your life. These stories are not designed for just you to hoard, but were given to you by God to draw others to HIM. Your testimony of faith is designed to show the unbeliever that you serve a living God. You testimony of faith is designed to show a weaker believer that they should increase their trust in God. Your testimony of faith is designed to show the stronger believer that you are growing in the faith and that you are striving to have a closer walk with HIM.

God is alive and active in your life every day. While you might not recognize it, you do need to change your focus so that you are more observant to the good things God is doing for you. That near miss as you were driving to work is a testimony of how God protects you. That conversation with an old friend was not just an accident, it was the Lord working out circumstances to bring you back together again.

As God works in your life, you need to note both large and small things that HE has done for you. There will be times in your life where Satan will be attacking you and you will need to remind yourself of God’s faithfulness in your life. How can you remind yourself of God’s faithfulness if you do not keep track? God is faithful; HE is the same yesterday, today and forever. Learn to take joy in God’s testimony in both yours and other’s lives.

I Thessalonians 3:6 But now when Timothy came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you:

Upon Timothy’s return from his visit to the church of Thessalonica, Paul received word that the church was remaining faithful. The church’s testimony was strong; they were not yielding to temptation. They were living their lives as Paul had hoped. Paul had sent Timothy because he was worried that the church had compromised its standards but Timothy confirmed that the church was standing fast.

The church in Thessalonica had the opportunity to yield to temptation when affliction came. This was an opportunity for them to turn from God and in return to their old sinful ways. Nonetheless, even though the tempter was attacking them, the church relied upon their faith and they put the Lord first. They understood that their faith was built upon the rock and that they could if they remain faithful overcome the storms of their adversary.

A mother told her son that he was not going to have dinner until he cleaned his room. She sent him back to the room to clean the room and she went her way preparing dinner. After a half hour, she began to wonder if her son was doing his job. However, she held off looking as long as she could in hopes that her son was doing what he was instructed to do. Nonetheless, in her mind, all she could think is that somehow, her son had been distracted with the toys and that since she was not there watching his every move, he was no longer doing what he was supposed to be doing but was instead playing. The mother was busy cooking dinner so she sent her oldest son to go check on her boy. When her son returned, she was proud to hear that her son was doing her will and cleaning the room.

Paul was human and as such, he understood the temptations that the church faced. Paul had great joy in hearing that the church was overcoming the temptation to forsake the faith. This church remained faithful.

God’s strength is sufficient to endure the temptations that are set before you. You do not have to yield to the temptations of the enemy. God has ensured that you have a solid foundation that will remain strong as long as you rely upon HIM. God is well pleased when you do not forsake your faith but instead continue to do HIS will.

Satan does not want to see you succeed. He will attack you and try to cause you to stumble in the faith. Nonetheless, as you continue to do the will of God, HE will give you the strength to make it through your trials one day at a time. God’s strength is sufficient for your next step. One step at a time you need to be like the church of Thessalonica that remained faithful and did the will of God.

Others are watching you to see how you will face the trials that are set before you. How you respond will affect others. As you remain faithful to God, your testimony will be an encouragement to others and give them the strength to also overcome the trials that are set before them. The struggle for your faith is never easy, but if you keep your focus on God, HE is faithful and just to ensure that you will overcome. Do not yield to temptation but instead use temptation to draw you closer to God.

I Thessalonians 3:5 For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labor be in vain.

Paul had planted the church in Thessalonica. Paul knew that the church was suffering tribulation. Paul was afraid that Satan might have caused the church to stumble as a result of suffering tribulation. Paul cared very much for the church but he understood that the church had to survive on its own faith, not the faith of Paul and Timothy. Paul thus stayed away from the church as long as he could so that the church would prove its own faith. Nonetheless, Paul had too much invested in the church and eventually he could no longer wait to discover if the churches faith had held out. Paul sent Timothy to discover if the church’s faith held.

Paul understood that the church would rely upon his faith if he was present. In order for the church’s faith to grow, they needed to learn to struggle on their own. Jacob is a perfect example of someone relying upon the faith of others. However, once Jacob wrestled with God alone, Jacob developed a personal relationship with God and the God of his fathers had now become his God.

This principle of growing stronger by testing is demonstrated in nature. If someone were to help a butterfly escape from its cocoon, while the butterfly will have escaped the cocoon quicker, it will not survive because it is the struggle that makes the butterfly strong enough so that it can live and fly.

There are two families who live next door to each other. One set of parents does not make their children do anything. They give their children whatever they want whenever they want. The other set of parents require that their children do household chores. This second family makes the children earn their own money in order to receive the toys that they desire to have. When the children grow up, which set of children is more likely to succeed in society? The children who learned to work are more likely to succeed.

The trials and temptations that you face are designed to give you the strength to do greater things for God. You must face the trials and temptations alone. You cannot afford to rely upon others to see you through your struggles. God and God alone should be your focus. You cannot afford to expect man to assist you in escaping from your trial. Instead, your focus should be only on God and while God may use man, you will know that it is God who you must thank and it is God who made a way of escape for you.

Jacob had to face God alone and this gave him the confidence of saying that he had a personal relationship with God. Paul had to leave the church of Thessalonica alone so that they could face their struggle and establish their own faith.

The struggle of your faith is personal. You must learn to look towards God. The harder the trial, the more you must rely upon God. God knows how HE plans to use you. God knows the mountains HE desires you to climb so HE gives you the appropriate trials so that you will have the strength to do HIS will. Do not look to others to create a way of escape for you during your trials. Also, if you see someone else struggling, be wise like Paul who was not quick in offering assistance but allow the church to focus on God.

I Thessalonians 3:2-3 And sent Timothy, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith: That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.

Timothy was sent to the Church of Thessalonians to assist them in establishing themselves in the faith. The church was facing some afflictions and Paul understood that their faith was the only thing that was going to see them through their affliction. Timothy’s job was to teach them and comfort them so that they could weather the storms.

The church was being afflicted and this affliction was such that Paul knew that they needed to be comforted in the faith. They were facing things that seemed too difficult for them to handle. Timothy was there to give them the encouragement that they needed to continue doing that which is right in the eyes of God. Timothy was able to encourage them to remain grounded in their faith so that Satan could not move them.

Satan’s desire is to destroy you. He wants you to turn from God when the trials become difficult. However, the stronger the storms, the more you need God and the more you need to rely upon HIM. When your faith is tried, you need to stand firm.

This church needed help bring reminded how to be established in their faith. God knew that they needed the help and HE sent Timothy to the church and Timothy worked with them so that they were found faithful. God gave the church the tools that they needed when they needed it. God did not send them Timothy during a time of prosperity but sent them Timothy when they were struggling through a trial that could possibly cause them to do something that would affect their testimony.

God knows your every need long before you ever ask. God knows the temptations and your trials that you will face before you were ever born. God knows the help that you are going to need in order to sustain yourself through the trial. God is faithful and HE will not let you face a trial that you are not able to bare. God sent Timothy to strengthen the church and instruct the church so that the trials that they faced they would glorify God and would create a testimony of God’s faithfulness in their lives.

What trial are you currently facing? This trial is an opportunity for you to cry out to God and watch your faith grow as you see HIM take you through the trial. Take comfort in your faith, establish yourself so that you are well grounded and cannot be moved. The lighthouse built upon a rocky cliff is much more likely to weather the storm then the lighthouse built upon a sand dune. The harder the trial that you face, the more you need to ensure that you are grounded in your faith.

It is your faith in God that will enable you to survive the trial that you are facing. There are times where it will seem impossible for you to make it through the trial and at these times, God will give you the help that you need. Your help can come in many different ways, but God will be faithful to ensure that you have the tools at your disposal so that you can accomplish HIS will. The only question is, will you remain steadfast and use those tools that God has given you so that you will be found faithful.

I Thessalonians 1:8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.

In this verse, Paul is commending the church for their part in spreading the good news of the gospel. Paul states that the church has not only spread the gospel in Macedonia and Achaia but also to every place that the faith of the church has been told. This church had so demonstrated its faith that the world knew that there was something different. This church did not just hide the truth of the gospel to themselves; but they obeyed Christ’s words by spreading the gospel of faith around the world.

This church did not need to go out and preach fancy words to let the world know that there was something different about them. This church did not need to put on fancy shows or music concerts to entertain their audiences to demonstrate that there is something different about them. This church instead just let their lives show the world that they had something of value, something that attracted all who came in contact with them that this church had something that was to be desired.

Your actions speak louder then your words. Paul is commending this church for the fact that this church’s actions were speaking so loud that the gospel of Christ was spreading. This church not only believed in Christ but they lived their lives so that the entire world could see that there was something different about them.

Put a young boy on top of a high structure and have his father stand on the ground beneath the structure. The father tells his son to jump and that he will catch him. The son can say all day that he believes his father, but until he actually jumps off the roof and allows his father to catch him, the boy’s actions demonstrate a lack of faith in his father. The quicker the boy jumps off the roof, the greater the demonstration of faith that the boy shows he has in his father. If his father has to plead with him to jump the son is not demonstrating his faith.

We demonstrate our faith by doing those things that God requests of us. We must be prompt in our obedience to HIM. God is faithful and HE will provide for our every need. God needs for us to promptly obey HIM in order to demonstrate to others our faith in HIM. God knows what opportunities await us at the time HE asks us to do something and if we are dilatory in our response, we might have missed an opportunity.

Your faith must be demonstrated to the world. You can preach the gospel of Christ to the entire world, but if your actions do not demonstrate to the world that there is something different about you, then all your words will be in vain. The world may hear your words, but they need to see your actions confirm your faith.

Christ has told you that you are to preach the gospel. You must step forth in faith like this church did and obey HIM. This one church had an impact on the world because they obeyed Christ and their lives demonstrated their faith in Christ. When both your words and actions join together, it is a powerful testimony that the world can see and this powerful testimony God can use to reach the world with the gospel.

I Thessalonians 1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

Paul is giving his salutation to the church of Thessalonians. Paul sees fit to start out by informing the church of things that they are doing right. Three of the things that the church was doing right was how they were demonstrating their faith, their love and hope. You should remember that Paul ends the love chapter (I Corinthians 13) by mentioning three things, faith, hope, and charity. As you study Paul’s writing, you will see that Paul mentions faith, hope and love quite often.

Paul believed that faith love and hope were all important elements of the Christian life. Paul understood the need for balance and as such, he would not just site the person’s faith but would also point out how they were doing at demonstrating the other two areas. In this particular passage, Paul recognizes the church for actively practicing its faith and love. He also recognizes the church for patiently waiting for Jesus Christ’s return that was a demonstration of their hope.

There is more to the Christian life then just faith. Faith is not the sole ingredient to living a life pleasing to the Lord. Balance is necessary and ones faith must be accomplished with love and hope. If a person only ate whole wheat bread and nothing else, while they are eating something that is good, their diet would be lacking in several key areas and their health would eventually diminish. Yes they are eating healthy but because there is no balance, eventually their body would be lacking certain nutrients that it needs and eventually ones health would give out.

A person cannot just clean one room in their house and call the whole house clean. If all they did was clean the living room for three years, the rest of the house would be quite dirty and few would desire to enter the house because of the stench. A person could say they clean the living room all they want but it would be evident to all that while the living room may be habitable, the rest of the house is not.

Faith is an important part of your Christian walk. Yes you do have an obligation to study and increase your faith. Nonetheless, there are other aspects of your Christian walk that you cannot forget to demonstrate. The world is carefully examining your life to see if there is anything in your life that demonstrates that you are different and that you have something that they need. The more balanced your Christian walk is, the less holes they will see in your Christian walk and the more desirous they will be of what you have.

The world is watching you. They do not care if you have all faith if they feel that you do not have any hope for eternal life. The world does not care about your faith if you have the personality of a hungry hyena just looking for someone to devour. The world hears your words, but your life demonstrates more to them then your words ever will. The world needs to see your faith but they also need to see that you have love one to another and that you have a hope that your life has another purpose then just living on this earth and dieing. Paul commended the church of Thessalonians for their balanced Christian life. If Paul were writing a letter to you today, would he be able to commend you on your balanced Christian life? Would he say you have demonstrated faith, love and hope?