Have you ever lived during a time when the future felt uncertain? A time when the ones in power conflicted with your own personal beliefs? As I was reading 1 Thessalonians this past week, I realized I can relate with the people of Thessalonica and right now, so can you. 

Paul (originally Saul) who had been a persecutor of Christians was radically changed when he encountered Jesus on his way to find the disciples to murder them (Acts 9). He became one of the most vocal proclaiming the Gospel and began planting churches. 

In Thessalonica the leaders did not like how Paul was encouraging people to put Jesus over the Roman emperor. For this he was kicked out of the city, leaving behind a brand new church.

Despite being a young church and fear of persecution, they not only sustained but thrived. Here in 1Thessalonians we find Paul writing this church. He encourages them, reminds them of what the church body should look like, and the coming of Jesus. 

His reminders to the church are the same reminders we need today. 

Have you seen “Faith, Hope, Love” written in cursive wood cutouts, on plaques, tatoos, mugs, and pillows? I have always thought they were just a cute saying until I read 1 Thessalonians. 

From the start Paul says in 

1:3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Faith produced work. 
Hope produced patience.
Love produced labor. 

Can I say this for myself? Am I working with faith in mind? Does my work show my faith in Jesus Christ? This is challenging. I can’t say everything I do is with faith in mind. On Saturday night I watched The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind on Netflix. His faith in making something to get water for his dying village produced the work to make it happen. Despite his young age, his impoverished circumstances, his inability to remain in school, and the discouragement from even his own father, he believed and he pushed forward. 

As the world around us is crumbling in havoc, how can we use this same faith but in Jesus Christ to produce something far bigger than what others tell us we are capable of? 

Do I have enough hope in Jesus to produce the patience and endurance needed? As many of you know I have written a book. A book that will be coming out within the next few months. The book is about finding HOPE when all hope is lost. All profit gained from the book sales will be used to provide this book for parents when they lose a child. To many this book is considered a passion project, but to me it is more. Sometimes God will give one person a vision but doesn’t give the vision to the other important player. God has laid it on my heart but He has not given the vision to my husband. Several weeks ago we were “discussing” where the several thousand dollars was going to come from to get this book in the final launch phase. I told him it would all work out and I was believing God would provide. The next morning my husband was given two extra classes to teach during the time we would need the money. I was thinking “BOOM! Answer to prayer!” That is until Saturday, when the classes disappeared. No extra income. This means dipping into our savings. It is frustrating. It is difficult to have endurance when you feel like throwing up your hands. According to Merriam-Webster, endurance is “the ability to withstand hardship or adversity.”If you have read any of my blogs before I am a quitter. When it gets hard, I would just rather give up.

When everyone is feeling the burden of hardship how can we use the hope in Jesus to give us endurance to get through this both personally and on a worldwide level? 

Paul wrote about faith, hope, and love various times in 1Thessalonians, in Romans 5, and in 1 Corinthians. 

1 corinth 13:1 -3 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

1 Corinth 13:13
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

I have heard “it’a a labor of love” tossed around about many concepts, but I especially believe this for motherhood. Yesterday was Mother’s Day and although it was perfectly imperfect, it was a reminder that I do none of it for recognition. I love them unconditionally despite their wrongs, annoyances, and tantrums. I love them even when they act like hugging me is the worst punishment in the world (hello teenage boy). I love them and will continue to do all the things for them even without recognition or a simple thank you.

If Paul is telling us the most important of the three is love, how can we serve and love others outside of our family in this same way? 

It’s time for a labor of love. I see the news. I see how people are on a brink of breakdown. I see racism. I see poor decisions based on fear and insecurities. I see affliction across the world. It’s time to break out of our bubbles and into a labor of love. 

Here are some examples of how we can begin to implement a labor of love in our communities:

• When you cross the street to keep the 6 feet, give them a friendly wave or say hello. We can remind each other it is about social distancing, not social scrutiny. 
• Offer to pick up groceries for a neighbor who is elderly, has medical concerns, or is a single parent and otherwise has to take the entire family to the store. 
• Drop off a coffee, flowers, or something simple to remind others they are not forgotten during this lonely time. 
• Make masks, soon we may all have to wear them in public. 
• Have your kids participate in the #rockchallenge by decorating rocks and leaving them in the neighborhood for other children to find.
• Contact your local nursing home and make cards for each of the residents. 
• Contact your local school district to see if they need help packing/delivering food.
• Offer to teach a class for one of your kids teachers by providing a video and lesson. It doesn’t have to be curriculum related. It could even be a fun tik tok where the students submit videos and you collaborate them all into one (with parents permission of course). You can teach them to cook a simple recipe, decorate rocks, or do a simple science experiment. Be creative and think outside the box. . 
• Ordering a lot from Amazon lately? Leave your driver a treat with a thank you note. 
• For the mom next door who is overwhelmed, offer to take her kids on a bike ride in the neighborhood or a walk to find “treasure.” 

Whatever you decide to do, do it with no reward in mind. Labor of Love is the greatest gift you can give the world. During a time when the world needs it the most, we have the greatest opportunity to show others Jesus. 

Lets have hope, faith, and a lot of love.