Motivated By Love Thessalonians 2:13-17 - Daily Devotional for August 28th, 2013 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father . . . encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed. (2 Thess. 2:16–17) Not many people have heard the story of Lawrence Lemieux, a Canadian rower who competed in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. During the race, the waves became extremely choppy. Lemieux was in second place when he saw a sailor from the Singapore team fall into the water. Seeing the man in distress, Lemieux rowed over and pulled the other sailor out of the water. When the rescue boat came, Lemieux reentered the race, but he was out of contention. Even so, the Olympic Committee awarded him an honorary bronze medal, saying, “By your sportsmanship, self-sacrifice, and courage, you embody all that is right with the Olympic ideal.” The apostle Paul was grateful for the Thessalonians and their deep love for one another. They, too, were to be grateful for their faith and salvation, and for the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. They were to persevere in the faith and in sound teaching, whether they had received that instruction directly from Paul or from one of his letters. Like Lemieux, Paul expected the Thessalonians to be self-sacrificing in their love and service for one another, as Christ had been for them. As a result, their hearts would be encouraged and strengthened through their acts of service motivated by love for others. By doing so, they would embody Christ’s ideal for the church. Contact someone who would be encouraged by your focused attention. Doug Schmidt is a freelance writer and editor and is on staff with his church as a small groups coach.
Posted on: Wed, 28 Aug 2013 09:59:10 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015