The Apostle Paul’s first letter to the church in Thessalonica pulsates with a sense of urgency. He uses the word “urge” four times:
- We dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory (1 Thes. 2:11-12 NIV).
- We instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more (4:1-2).
- In fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more (4:10).
- We urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone (5:14).
Why does Paul use this word “urge” so often? Because we don’t have forever to fulfill the work God has given us to do. Every day the coming of Christ draws nearer. Every day more people pass into eternity. Every day we draw nearer to that great moment ourselves.
You are closer today to your unbreakable appointment with Jesus Christ than you were yesterday. “Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow” (Psa. 144:4). Therefore, since God has been so gracious with the time He has allotted to you, cultivate a sense of urgency—with one eye on the cross, and the other on the rapidly approaching Day of the Lord!
Pray that God would renew a sense of urgency in the church today. Pray that this urgency would cause us to intentionally point people to the Savior. Pray that He would teach us to live like there’s no tomorrow.
