I Thessalonians 1

“And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers ...” (v6-7). Paul thanked God for the Thessalonians because they modeled a resilient, realistic faith for other believers. They received the good news about Jesus through the Word, the Spirit’s power, and “full conviction” (v5), and then they immediately experienced “much affliction.” Despite these troubles, they also experienced the “joy of the Holy Spirit” (v6).

Our walk of faith is not a self-help strategy but instead “a labor of love” in which we dedicate our lives to the One who loved us first (v3).