Paul has been worried about how the believers at Thessalonica are doing. He's heard that opposition has come against them, so he reminded them in our passage yesterday that anyone who follows Christ will be met with opposition. Now he uses himself and the other apostles as an example of this: "In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know." (1 Thessalonians 3:4)
The Apostle Peter said the same thing to his readers that Paul says to the people of Thessalonica. Peter promised that anyone who wants to follow Christ can count on persecution. "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you." (1 Peter 4:12) Peter says, "Don't be caught off guard. Satan is going to oppose you in any way he can, so be prepared. Anyone who follows Christ will encounter some form of persecution, so go ahead and expect it."
Yesterday we talked about the forms persecution might take. When we hear the word "persecution" we tend to think of the type of persecution the apostles faced, but following Christ may not mean that threats will be made against our lives. Persecution is usually far more insidious than that. Instead of being a threat that's obvious and out in the open, it's more often a long series of smaller events that Satan uses to try and chip away at our faith. Or it may be a particular temptation that Satan keeps confronting us with, such as addiction or immoral behavior. A lot of times, it's easier to stand firm in the face of blatant opposition than it is to stand firm day after day against the same old temptations. It can be more difficult to go to school or to our jobs every day, knowing there are people there who discriminate against us for our faith, than to refuse to deny Christ even if we were threatened with death. The devil knows it's the little things that build up and eventually get us down.
Paul is starting to feel down because Satan has prevented from visiting the believers at Thessalonica. I think that in his worry for them he began to imagine all kinds of bad things, so he sent Timothy to check on them. "For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter had tempted you and our labors might have been in vain." (1 Thessalonians 3:5)
We need to be as concerned about our fellow believers as Paul is about the believers of Thessalonica. He hasn't seen or heard from them lately and he anxiously wants to know how they're doing. They are always in his prayers, but he needs proof that they're okay. If they're not okay, he wants to help them to be okay. We need to check on our fellow believers and make sure they're okay, and not just when we hear that one of them is going through a terrible time. Remember, it's the little things that tend to build up and break a person. We can often get through a huge crisis better than we can endure a long series of small crises. Is there someone you haven't seen at church lately? Or do you get the sense that a brother or sister at church or at work or at school is struggling with something? Or do you know a person who has had a series of small but disappointing events in their life? Check on them. Make sure they're okay. Your encouragement may be exactly what they need right now.
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