To Encourage You

1 Thessalonians 3:2-3 “We sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith,that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.”

There are many ways that believers can serve God.  Some are called to preach. Others are gifted evangelists. Some are gifted to teach.  No matter what the way in which we serve, we don’t do so alone – for, amazingly, those who serve the Lord are known as “God’s coworkers in the gospel of Christ.” That’s how Paul described Timothy in the verses above.  We are never out on a limb.  God is always with us. He will never leave us nor forsake us. Indeed, “it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). 

Much of the believer’s work is geared toward introducing people to the truth of the gospel, to tell them that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).  But then, another wonderful way in which believers can be coworkers with God is in the specific service described above of establishing and exhorting other believers in the faith during times of great trial.  The Christian life is hard.  It is full of afflictions.  In fact, as Paul wrote the Thessalonians, “you yourselves know that we are destined for this.”  There is persecution for many.   There is suffering.  We are told that we have actually been called to suffering “because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21). 

So often our response to other’s suffering can be to avoid them. We don’t know what to say, or we don’t know how to react.  But it is in the very act of our own personal suffering that we are often prepared by the Lord to come alongside others who are now in a place where we once were.  This is stated beautifully in these words from Paul, a person who likely suffered more for his faith than any other person who ever lived: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too” (2 Corinthians 1:3-5).  In other words, it is in our own suffering, as we are comforted in one way or another by the Lord, that we are prepared to come alongside others as we otherwise could not have.  It is because we’ve been there and done that that we are prepared to come alongside others to help strengthen them in their faith. 

So, is there someone in your life that is struggling right now?  Is there a Christian that is under a great burden of suffering and testing that is very difficult to endure?  If so, perhaps that is a place where, like Timothy, you can be a coworker with God in bringing comfort to that person so that they can be established and exhorted in their faith so they can endure and perhaps even be prepared to help someone else someday. 

May God give us eyes to see the suffering of those around us and come alongside them, for it is in this way that God often works through His children to comfort and strengthen those in need.