“We recall, in the presence of our God and Father, your work produced by faith, your labor motivated by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (v. 3)

What kind of reputation do you hope to have? And how do you hope your church will be remembered?

Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, gives us a good track to run on. When he writes to his friends in Thessalonica—a church planted in the midst of both paganism and antagonism—his gratitude for then overflows. Why? Because everything they do, from their work to their worship, is rightly motivated. They work out their faith, they labor with love, and they worship in the light of their everlasting hope in Christ.

The church Paul celebrates isn’t merely a religious institution. They are genuinely transformed by their faith in Christ—and it shows!

So ask yourself (and your church) the question:

Is this our reputation, too?

If it isn’t—if your works are self-righteous and your labors are self-serving and your faith is self-comforting—then revisit the Gospel. Be remotivated by the pure gift of grace in Christ. And rebuild your religion, so that it is truly Christian.

— Tyler