Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith. 1 Thessalonians 3:10 (NIV)
Paul has been thanking God for their faith, but now he says that there is something lacking in it! First Thessalonians 1:8 tells us that their faith in God had become known everywhere, so how can this be?
Even the strongest faith is a work begun but not yet complete. Your faith needs to grow. Jesus described faith like a living seed, a mustard seed, that grows.
Faith is a living thing. It needs to be fed, nourished, and exercised. It is fed and nourished in the Word, in worship, in fellowship, and in prayer. It is exercised in ministry and in facing great trials and temptations. It needs to be applied to the choices we make individually and together.
If we never aspire to do more than we know we can do, we are not living by faith. If Paul sent Timothy to your church—to find out about your faith, what would be his report about you? Seriously, suppose Timothy came for a month, to take the spiritual temperature of your church. Suppose he worshipped with you, visited small groups, sat in on private conversations, and sampled your opinions, hopes, and dreams. What would he say?
Would he be saying to the apostle, “Its good news from that church. The folks there have been through some trials, and Satan has been tempting many. But the congregation is standing firm in the Lord. They have learned humility and know that apart from God they can do nothing, but they also have great confidence in God and an expectancy that looks to Him for great things.
We need to grow in this kind of faith.
What do you think Timothy’s report about you would say?
