Imitation, something we are called to...

Here is the next section of 1 Thessalonians. 1 Thessalonians 2-10.

2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

I read these words:

We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

And I have to ask myself, do I do this? and in all honesty I have to answer....not as well as I might. Yes, I pray for people, but I tend to pray for specific things: health, children, struggles they are going through and so forth. I rarely thank God for them and their faith in him and how it is demonstrated. And do I do so constantly? NO! And yet God continually reminds us in scripture to pray continually, to pray constantly, to pray without ceasing..... And I am SUCH a huge failure in this area. I have to focus and think and remember to pray. And when I do, I do pray. But it is rarely continually. I do have to say though, that as I continue to mature as a believer I am getting quicker at saying, let's us NOW lift that up to God in prayer (instead of just saying I'll pray for you).

And then I go on to read

For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.

and I think hmm....all those struggles and differences within the church... do we remember, actively remember, that God loves our fellow believer, just as he loves us? Even if we struggle with our fellow believer we need to remember, they have been reached by the gospel as well. They are LOVED by God. God chose them just as he chose you or me or any other believer. I wonder if we remembered that more that we would fight less amongst ourselves.

I have to admit, I like this next section, particularly after studying it the first time through and really being convicted of the importance of imitation, and being one to be imitated.

You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

Am I a person who has proven herself to be the "right kind" of woman? Paul and his brothers (Silas and Timothy) were solid men of the gospel. They were so solid that new believers could imitate them, and by doing so, became examples to other believers. So much so that they were talked about the whole world over (well...their whole world over).

Wouldn't that be amazing if the people in my community would see how well we follow Christ in our church, that they in turn would want to follow that example? To me, I have to admit, that would be shocking! To think that someone might want to imitate me!! Like what on earth for? I see my struggles in the Christian faith sometimes only too clearly and I think, why would someone want to imitate me? But I read this passage and I think...I am called to higher standard. I am called to be a person that others may imitate to further the cause of Christ.

Now to do so.....