Faith Grows, Love Abounds
We are bound to thank God always for you, brothers, as it is fitting, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you abounds toward each other.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:3
Anything that is alive has certain characteristics, and one of them is growth. If we are not growing, we are regressing, or possibly even dying. The term “life-long learner” reflects the idea of continual growth. Every one of us should know more about God and His Word today than we did a year ago, or even a month ago.
However, growth does not come without any pain and it does not exist in the absence of struggle. When children are small, it seems as though they grow up without any effort, but as anyone who has ever had to feed them knows, it actually takes a lot of work (and food) to enable them to grow! Isaiah 10:27 promises that burdens will be removed, and yokes destroyed because of the anointing. One meaning of the term anointing in Isaiah 10:27 is fatness. What Isaiah was really saying is that the yoke of bondage would be destroyed because of the growth of the neck.
Paul tells the Thessalonians that their faith should grow like that. A faith that is growing is a faith that is fed. As we feed our faith, our faith grows, and over time, it will grow abundantly. This cannot happen in an instant, but can only be cultivated through personal devotion, prayer, and constant communion with Jesus Christ. Our God is an extravagant and abundant Father. He desires that our faith be in abundance, so that we can boldly do exploits in His name!
Paul commended the believers in Thessalonica because he recognized that their love abounded toward one another. It is no coincidence that love abounds as faith grows. However, growth is personal and must be addressed on an individual basis. We must set time aside in our day-to-day lives to seek, know, and worship God for ourselves. However, we must also set aside time regularly to gather with other believers to seek, know, and worship Him together as a body of believers. An as we grow individually, our love toward one another abounds corporately.
This kind of faith will produce a tremendous witness to our culture. We are not supposed to conform to the world’s standard, which is self-serving, self-seeking, and self-promoting. Christians are to demonstrate and proclaim Jesus to the culture around us. We are supposed to be different in the way we interact with one another and with our community. Jesus said the way the world would know we follow Him is by the love we display for one another (John 13:35). Love is a visible and tangible outgrowth of an ever-growing faith.
Heavenly Father, as we begin a new day, help us to engage Your will with faith. Teach us to trust in You, and help us grow in righteousness. Lord, give us the courage to step out in faith this day. Fill our hearts with Your spirit, and let us speak your words with joy. Amen.
Further Reading
- 2 Thessalonians 1:3
- Isaiah 10:27
- John 13:35
