Living Examples

Does your life matter to anyone else? Do you make a difference that the LORD is proud of you for living out? Many of us who serve the LORD as disciples are surprised on those occasions when someone reminds us of a way that we touched their life in the character of Jesus years before. The Apostle Paul likely had served thousands either personally or through his letters and was mindful of the difference that connection between disciples can make.

We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. ¹

Paul appreciated the opportunity to serve, the response of those served and the difference they were making through their lives. There comes a cascade effect in which the serving continues on through the served.

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 in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. ²

What Paul had lived out before the disciples at Thessalonika was then lived out through those disciples to other disciples down throughout Greece. Discipleship is never to be self-contained but to be expansive, spreading outward, touching others, demonstrating Jesus through the life of each disciple to all they contact.

For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. ³

Imagine the delight of Paul to contact believers where he had not been before only to find they had been touched by those he had discipled further back up the road, even years ago. To know your service has been multiplied through the effectual working of God through those you touched sometime in the past is a true joy to the faithful servant. It is a blessing to see fruit from your service to others when they have then passed it along to more others.