2 Thessalonians 1:3-4 – Thanksgiving and steadfastness

Following the greetings to the Thessalonians, Paul launched into giving thanks to God for their growth in the faith and love. He had earlier prayed that they would “increase and abound in love …” (1 Thessalonians 3:12). God had apparently answered his prayers and the reports of their abounding love must have stirred in his heart to give thanks to God for them.

In the short phrase, “as is only fitting …,” he was acknowledging that giving thanks to God was the right and proper thing to do. He knew that it was the grace of God that divinely enabled the Thessalonians to have an enlarged faith toward God and an overwhelming love toward each other. Notice that they not only loved greatly but that their love had also grown progressively greater (v.3).

According to 1 Thessalonians 1:3, their hope was also steadfast. Although Paul did not mention hope here, verse 4 speaks of their steadfastness and perseverance. The fact that he could boast about their perseverance to the churches of God tells us that their perseverance was gaining momentum and getting increasingly strengthened, so much so that in the midst of their persecution, they persevered and in their affliction, they endured.

On reflection, we will see that Paul went about thanking God for the Thessalonians’ faith, love and perseverance, was skillfully done. He did it in a way that indirectly praised them and yet would keep them from becoming swellheaded because it was God’s grace that enabled them. What he did also left the Thessalonians motivated to continue to cultivate their faith, love and hope.

Like them, we need to remain steadfast in hope with all perseverance. This call for consistent living in the world that’s getting increasingly difficult to live out our faith, both truthfully and thankfully, is timely. Yet we must do so with the strength that God will provide. Just as we are exhorted by the writer of the letter to the Hebrews, let us then set our eyes on the Lord, the author and finisher of our faith, and emulate His endurance in the midst of difficulties, and triumphed. All to the praise of God!