I missed church this last weekend and the service recording isn’t online yet, but I don’t want to miss a week. So I’m going to chat about the bit of solid gold I found this morning in 1 Thessalonians. I’m praying it into my core this week, trusting that His Word will do It’s work in me. Might even jot bits of it onto my bathroom mirror to remind me.
1 Thessalonians: Paul is writing to a persecuted church. He’s reminding them of the good things they learned and became under him. And in chapter 2 verse 13 he says that “… the Word of God … is at work in you…”
This stopped me.
I knew this, though. Of course I knew this.
- Hebrews 14:12: God’s word is both living and active, implying it is full of volition all on its own.
- 1 Peter 1:23: God’s word is living and abiding, and producing life.
- 2 Timothy 3:16-17: God’s word has God’s breath in it, like we do, like creation does; and it produces more life, like all creation is commanded to do (Genesis 1:11, 24, 28).
- John 1:1 & 14: Jesus Himself, the Creator of everything (Colossians 1:16), IS the Word! I can’t even get into that or wrap my head around it, actually. But seriously, that’s huge. Jesus, the uncreated God of all creation, is also the God-breathed Word, alive and active and producing more life. Can’t really grasp this, but I do grasp that it’s a Biggie.
Anyhow, I knew that the Word of God is a living thing, deserving of its own respect. And I see that It/He is intent on bringing life into and out of me. Thank-You, God!
But further on in 1 Thessalonians 2, verses 15-16, this Living Word says that those who opposed the gospel among the Thessalonian church were opposing all mankind!
Whatwhat?? Wait. Okay, I get that to stop the gospel from spreading into other nations, to unsaved peoples, is to oppose God’s work in the world. We can’t pray “Your Kingdom come!” and then also say, “No!” to His work in the nations, or in our community. Okay. Yes.
But wait: alright, here, look! In verse 13 it says the Word of God is working in ME.
There’s an argument that could be made that the “you” Paul is addressing is the corporate “you”, the “all of you that comprise the Thessalonian church” kind of “you”. But in the translation I was reading this morning (The ESV) it says that the Word of God is at work in “you believers”. And that’s me. I’m a believer.
So God’s Word is working on/in me, personally. In my heart and soul and memories and wounds and bad habits and foolishness and ignorance. Jesus, God’s Word, this living, will-full, purposeful, and intentional Word, this God-breathed, naphash–nephesh thing, is making ME the object of Its/His focused work.
I can’t even now. The very Being that created all beings and non-beings is focusing His attention on my tiny self. Imagine the Butchart Gardens, in BC. I’ve been there a few times. It’s breath-taking and overwhelming to the senses. I have a tiny yard and half-spun garden of my own and can’t keep up the work. I settle for imperfection because it’s doable.
But I have stood in the middle of the Butchart Gardens and tried to imagine the person in charge of all of that, and the management of the landscaping team it takes to keep it up to the level of perfection that it is. Mind-boggling job.
Now imagine that the Head Landscaper found a tiny shrub planted in the most remote area of that vast garden-kingdom and did not send a worker to tend to it, but himself sat in the dirt to tend to it. And not just to prune it (which we know He’s doing, from John 15:1-2) but actually entered into the plant to fix it from the inside out (John 15:4-7).
Imagine the plant resisted the gardener’s work in it. Imagine the plant saying, “No, no. No thanks. Go work on some other plant.” Imagine the gardener saying, “But to leave you here mars the entire garden. It’s a scar on the whole matter. I can’t leave you here withering with browning leaves. I’m aiming for perfection in the whole garden. And you are part of that.” And the plant says, “Um, yeah, no. It’s too hard. It’s too much. Nope. Let me just wither here and wreck the whole landscape.”
What even? The gardener would leave the internal environment of that plant and yank it out. Into the compost heap with it then. (John 15:2, Matthew 15:13) Yikes!!
And furthermore, the gardener didn’t send a team-member to do the work. He bothered with this tiny detail himself. He didn’t assign the task to one of the lesser gardeners (Philippians 2:13, John 6:29). He Himself tended to the work that needed to be done in that wee, struggling plant (Me! You!), hidden in some obscure nook somewhere in the back of the garden: Prince Albert, Saskatchewan – obscure!
God Himself in working on the inside of me. And you.
And to oppose THAT, according to 1 Thessalonians 2:15-16, is to oppose all mankind!!
Whatwhat??
Your personal development, Friend, is critical to the salvation of all of mankind. Somehow.
Opposing His Word working in you is opposing God’s purpose for you to become a key player in “His Kingdom come”. Submit to what He wants to do in you with His Word, or end up in the compost heap.
He’s not messing around here! Oppose His Word at work in you and you’re opposing all mankind.
Grief!
So, let’s pray this out.
Father-God Who intended our lives for eternal purposes, and Jesus the Word Who is at work in each of us individually, and Holy Spirit Who humbly resides in us for Your home-base of operations for all mankind:
Work Your Word into the cores of our beings. Help us cooperate with You in everything You want to do in us and through us. Don’t even allow us to resist the changes You intend. Discipline us for the purposes of Your Kingdom. We want to do our tiniest parts and to somehow contribute to Life for all mankind. And we want our lives to serve a bigger purpose and to mean something in the end. Let Your Word work in us so that we aren’t found to be in opposition to Your bigger purposes for all mankind.
Amen and amen.