The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 Thessalonians 1:2-5, “We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers;
3 constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father,
4 knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you;
5 for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.”

With all the words that course their way through our minds and thoughts, the two most often omitted are “Thank you.” Paul never lost track of the gratitude he owed to God. And in conjunction with that gratitude, he always mentioned others in his prayers.

Do you have something that is constantly on your mind? The three things that occupied Paul’s mind –at least, in this Letter to the Thessalonians— were 1) their work of faith, 2) their labor of love, and 3) their steadfastness of hope in the LORD Jesus Christ. True Christians are constantly engaged in work. We don’t always see immediate results, but we rest in faith, knowing Christ will ultimately produce the result if we don’t give up.

Patience is an extremely difficult quality of life. By nature, I am not a patient person. If I plant a seed, I want to see it bloom instantly! The planting is always in faith, but I’ve had to learn that the intended result takes time. There are some for whom I’ve prayed for years, yet they have thus far not come to faith in Christ.

We are simply to labor in love. Paul’s use of ?????, agape– the highest form of love– demonstrates his utmost sincerity! Our labor is not to hinge on the attitude of the one we love; we’re just to “keep on keeping on,” faithfully loving them through our prayers. The ultimate result lies in the Hands of Him who was nailed to the cross for our sins.

Leaving the results of our faithful, loving prayer in God’s hands demonstrates our steadfastness of hope. Hope (?????, elpis) is future certainty. That certainty does not lie in our ability; it rests solely on the LORD Jesus Christ. Exactly, how the LORD configures all of this remains a mystery beyond what He tells us. We are simply to remain faithful and labor fervently, trusting Him. The ultimate results reside in the power of the Holy Spirit. So, don’t give up! Don’t relax your prayers of love! Stay faithful! He hears your prayers and will respond in His own time and in His own way.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom