This morning I was in 1 Thessalonians, which lead me over to John indirectly. I kept thinking of Ed’s sermon last night, and seeing afflictions through the lens of the gospel. How all that affects us especially in tough times, should be viewed through the lens of Gods redemptive work in the world we live in. These are tough things to wrap our minds around, but our actions and reactions can affect how others view Christ. We can simply tear down foundations that have been built by reacting as the world reacts, and not through the lens of the gospel. In Thessalonica Paul was encouraging them for enduring the persecutions and telling them of how they were reaching places they did not even realize with how they were handling what they were enduring. Every day in every situation, look at it through the lens of the gospel, and God’s work through you, in the world.

In every place

1 Thessalonians 1:6 -8   And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything.

Those that surround you every day are watching you. If you profess yourself a Christian, the world and those around you hold you in judgement constantly. Your words and your actions are viewed not only by our Lord above, but on an earthly plain, and that is how you reflect Christ. How we endure the stresses of life can either glorify Christ, or damage our testimony as a Christian. Paul was encouraging the Thessalonians that their walk and the preaching of the gospel was reaching those they did not even know of, “in every place.” They were in a busy port city and all their actions were being viewed by others and taken to different places in the world. Their actions was being used to spread the glory of the gospel of Christ.

Corinthians 2:14-16 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. We are called only to pursue a life that emulates Christ, and through that we will spread His glory to those whom will listen. Those that choose to hear will receive the eternal life spoken of here. There are also those that will not hear, and the word of Truth will bring the conviction of death. Even in the life of Christ, with the signs of God being performed before them, many rejected what laid before their eyes. Their hearts were truly blind to what they saw before their eyes. John 9:39 And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.” Let your every day be a day that you share the Light that lies within you, that someone who finds themselves in the dark of this age, sees that Light, hears His voice, and is drawn to Him, through what they see in you.