Be Still And Know

2 Thessalonians 1:3-4 From this bold introduction to Paul’s second letter to the church in Thessalonica, you might have thought that they were perfect. But they weren’t. As Paul’s letter progresses, he addresses a number of issues. They had become confused about the timing of Jesus’ return and many of them had become lazy, using the excuse that there was no point in getting a job if the Lord was to come back at any moment. They were far from perfect, but there was still much to celebrate, and Paul did so with confidence. Their faith was deepening and, as a consequence, their love for one another was growing and they were standing up to persecution. It’s so easy for us to focus on the failings of other people. Because churches are made up of sinners, we shouldn’t be surprised that there is often misunderstanding, tension and difficulty among Christians. Sad as it is, it’s an inevitable part of living in a broken world. But we must be careful not to focus our attention on the negatives. We need to encou