Paul had very high praise for the church that met in Thessalonica. Their reputation had spread throughout the whole region. It wasn’t just that they had turned away from worthless idols, either. That in itself was a big thing. These were also people who withstood the persecutions of local Jews who were stirring up trouble against the gospel. What Paul praised them for, though, was their service to God, no longer serving worthless idols. What a striking difference to the Israelites who had done just the opposite, having been rescued from their slavery, brought through the sea on dry ground, had the visible presence of the Living God before them as they went forth, and then demanding an idol to be made that they might worship it.
This is not an empty warning for us. It is echoed in the words of Jesus when he warned those who would follow him to not allow their ‘saltiness’ to become ‘un-salty.’ A light shining too brightly in our lives may bring us to a point of dimming it so that attention isn’t drawn directly to us. Who would actually seek to be persecuted? And so, we temper our service so that others will not be offended by our light. After all, we don’t want to lose any friends due to our overzealousness. James warned us of that, too. Friendship with the world is enmity against God.
We don’t serve for the sake of being persecuted or to offend anyone. That would be a ridiculous goal. If, though, we are motivated to not offend, we show where our true friendship lies. Those Thessalonians showed their faithfulness to the gospel by serving despite the persecutions, for they did work that was produced by faith, labor which was motivated by love of God, and they had such a hope in the reality of the gospel that they endured. They knew of their chosen-ness. Frankly, the Israelites should have known this, too.
To what do we turn when our lives seem to be in contrast to those around us? Where do we seek the satisfaction of our doubts, fears, and concerns? From whom do we desire consolation?
We are blessed when falsely accused, spoken ill of, insulted because of whom we represent. Not in some ‘here-and-now’ kind of feel good blessing, but rather for the hope that is set before us.