Love cares about faith—1 Thessalonians 3:1-10 makes
this point with urgency. Five times Paul
says that one thing weighed most heavily on his heart: the vitality of their FAITH. 3:2
we sent Timothy … to establish and exhort you in your faith,… 3:5 when I could bear it no longer, I sent
to learn about your faith,… 3:6
Timothy has brought us the good news of your faith… 3:7 we have been comforted about you through your faith… 3:10 we pray that we
may supply what is lacking in your faith.
Faith is the heartbeat of Christian life; without
faith there is no spiritual pulse (Heb 11:6).
Love compels believers to check one another’s vital signs. If we love people, we’ll care about their
faith (or their lack of it); if we don’t care about their faith, we don’t love
them.
Think of some of the good things Paul does not mention five times in this chapter. He does not say five times that he could no
longer bear not knowing about their feelings—were
they feeling positive, feeling happy? He
does not say five times how deeply concerned he is for their health—was anyone sick or injured? And he does not say five times how he just
had to know about their safety, were
they all safe and sound, free from harm?
These good things are overshadowed by what really moves Paul’s heart. FAITH is what counts (cf. Gal 5:6); Paul
loves them, so he simply must know about their faith.
What about us?
Are we content to rub shoulders at church without getting to know about
each other’s faith? It’s nice if we can
testify of one another’s pleasant demeanor or regular attendance or church
activities. But do we see faith?
I don’t mean fuzzy “faith” that’s little more than optimism: I mean conscious dependence on the mercy,
power and shepherding care of Christ. I
mean serious confidence in the Great Hero of the Universe, such that we take
bold steps to honor him. As we watch one
another walk this earth, do we see evidence of strong, heart-felt,
biblically-informed trust in Christ? Do
we look in the mirror and in the pew and find faces that light up at the wonder
of God’s majesty and gift of his grace through Jesus? What do our conversations, spending habits,
and scheduling patterns say about our faith in Christ? Do we know each other well enough to have a
sense for these vital signs? How is your faith today?
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