John Wesley was once asked — “What is your secret? Why do so many people come to hear you preach?” Wesley answered, “I get alone with God in prayer. He sets me on fire. The people come out to watch me burn.” It’s a powerful comment on the way that God works through us. We spend time with Him in prayer and worship and in return He fills us with His Holy Spirit so that we can burn for Him. It’s a simple equation in which the ultimate conclusion is that God is made famous through the way that we each live and work for Him in the world. The name of God and His Son Jesus spread and His reputation grows because of what the world sees in us.

Paul wrote in this first part of the letter to the Thessalonians that he’d heard about their reputation. He’d heard how they were living and about the good that they were doing. Word of mouth can be the most powerful form of advertising. We tend to believe people who have experienced things for themselves. They’re convicted by their experiences and so their words carry great weight. When you add to that a change in lifestyle and practice you have a very powerful force for good.

Paul recognised that there is often a price to pay. Persecution clearly followed the Thessalonian church. There were others out to cause them as much trouble as possible. If we go through life thinking that living by faith in Jesus is going to be all sunshine and roses we will inevitably be mistaken. We need to pray daily against the attacks of our old enemy. We need to cover each other in prayer and we need to take that seriously. Faith in Christ comes with a price. Jesus told His disciples that they must take up their cross daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23).

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Questions:

Do you recognise when you’re under attack? Do you see the signs of evil and temptation at work in your life? Do you know how to repel those attacks and temptations when they come?

Prayer:

Father God, may the name of our Lord Jesus Christ be glorified in each of us. Would you bless us to live for Your glory and for the name of Jesus above all other things. We ask in His precious name that You would extend Your hand of protection over each of us that we might not succumb to the darts and arrows of the evil one. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.