Word of Encouragement (6/24/2021)
Today, we move on to another petition in Paul’s prayer in 1 Thess. 3:11-13: “Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.” Yesterday, by examining Paul’s first petition, we reflected on the importance of persisting in prayer. Today, we want to reflect on the second petition: “...may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all...” (v. 12).
Again, we are reminded of the central importance of love in Christianity. All of God’s commandments can be summed up in loving God with all of our being and loving our neighbor as ourselves. And love is something that we should increase and abound in. Wherever we are in our Christian maturity, we can still increase and abound in love. Only God is perfect in love. Love doesn’t say, “I’ve done enough! What more do you expect from me?” True love gives and gives and still desires to give more. That’s how God’s love is: “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things” (Rom. 8:32). Isn’t this amazing? God gave us the greatest Gift He could ever give to us—His only begotten Son, whom He loves more than Himself. He doesn’t say, “I’ve given you My only begotten Son. What more do you expect from Me?” Having given the greatest Gift of all, He desires to give us all things because He loves us! True love doesn’t give just to get people off its back; it gives for their good, to build them up, as long as they need it. Oh, how we need to increase and abound in this kind of love!
But to increase and abound in love doesn’t mean just growing in mere goodwill and intention: “if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:17-18).
There is another way in which we must increase and abound in love. Paul says, “…increase and abound in love for one another and for all….” Paul is praying that the scope of our love should expand more and more so that we do not just love one another—those that are close and dear to us, those that are our fellow members in the church—but for all—those that are outside our family, our circles of friends, our cliques, and our church; all our brothers and sisters in the Lord and even those in our neighborhood and workplace, who are not believers. This doesn’t mean that we can love all people equally. Our Lord assumes this even for sinners like us: “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him” (Matt. 7:11)! Paul, too, says, “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Tim. 5:8). But we are also told to love even our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matt. 5:44).
How can we love those who do not share, and even oppose our worldview and beliefs and convictions? We can start by affirming our solidarity with them regarding the common challenges and struggles we all experience in this life—the pain of loss, the ravaging effects of sickness, the bitterness of strained relationships, the fear of rejection, the hatred of injustice, the dread of death, etc. But we must disagree with their analyses of the cause of our problems and their proposed solutions. Even so, we can be with them, shed tears with them, and hold their hands in sympathy. And we can offer them the truth of God’s Word and the comfort it provides when they are at a loss and ask for our advice. We don’t treat them as our evangelistic projects but we don’t hold back the gospel when an opportunity presents itself. We must hate them not to share the good news of Jesus Christ if we really believe that the gospel is indeed good news.
If we can do this with unbelievers, how much more so with our family members and fellow saints? Whatever differences we may have with one another insignificant if we are united as fellow members of the body of Christ! Let us strive to “increase and abound in love for one another and for all”!