1 Thessalonians 3:9-10
You’ve probably seen the on-the-street interviews where some reporter goes into a crowd, protesting for a cause they seem to believe sincerely about. The interviewer asks what seems like a simple question. It goes something like this: tell me about the words you are chanting. What do those words mean? And then the blank stare begins… One such interview showed a girl with a deer in the headlight’s kind of stare, turning to her friend to answer the question. Her friend was just as clueless. Finally, saying to the interviewer, “I need more education on this, I suppose.”
Yup, that would be good!
I remember my college days. I was young and impressionable, and although I had been educated for 12 or more years by then, I was green, naïve, and gullible. It is true for all of us. We think we know it all, and then we realize, well, maybe not! Acting so informed yet being completely ignorant. Acquiring human wisdom comes with much learning. Trial and error. I have found that the best wisdom usually comes from the error part. Isn’t that why we let toddlers fall so they can learn to stand? And high schoolers fail to study for a test, poor grades being the best educator? The school of hard knocks works well. It takes time to experience enough hard knocks!
We all have gaps in our knowledge and, in turn, in our faith.
Paul and Silas were in Thessalonica. They had come from Philippi. Townspeople poured in to hear what Paul had to say. Thankfully, some in Thessalonica believed the truth being shared. Paul and Silas hadn’t been there long before being quickly ushered out of town towards Berea. The new green converts of Thessalonica knew only the basics when their teachers had to leave. They understood the Good News and knew to look for Jesus to come again. Yet, there were some extensive gaps in their knowledge and, thus, in their faith. They didn’t have the New Testament to study from- the writing of those words was happening in real time. So, they had only what Paul had time to teach and the Holy Spirit’s indwelling day-to-day guidance.
Paul cared deeply for these new converts. He wanted them to know more- to become educated with truth. He wanted them to live the life available to the believer who had given their life to Jesus. He wanted them to experience abundant life. And so, he penned 1st and 2nd Thessalonians. He was desperate to give them more understanding. I sometimes wonder if Paul thought these Thessalonians could learn a bit from the Bereans. The Bereans had been studying and pouring over their Old Testament Scriptures. Dissecting and examining all Paul had told them. The Bereans would go down in history as people willing to get into the Word. I was told as a young teen, Be a Berean! What good advice that was!
Paul wrote to the new Thessalonian converts. He reminded them of his deep affection for them, and that he was praying day and night for them. He asked God to let him return to Thessalonica to “fill in the gaps in their faith.” There was so much more these dear ones needed to learn. They needed to understand that their learning thus far, although good, was incomplete.
How we thank God for you! Because of you we have great joy as we enter God’s presence. Night and day we pray earnestly for you, asking God to let us see you again to fill the gaps in your faith.
1 Thessalonians 3:9-10
Here is what I am thinking as I meditate on this Scripture:
First, am I being a Berean? Am I digging deeply into God’s Word?
You and I are blessed to have all of it! We don’t have to wait for anyone to come to physically teach us- the Word is available for our consumption right now. The Word is in its complete form and readily accessible for us in the U.S. and in many places in the world. Praise God for that! But that may not always be the case.
Am I taking advantage of resources to help me learn? There are so many online helps that can be accessed- am I using them?
Here are a few of my favorites:
https://www.blueletterbible.org
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/literal-word-bible-lexicon/id1439010388
Second, is my faith resting on solid truth, or is it falling between the gaps of what I know and don’t know? Does my faith have gaps? Am I okay with not clearly understanding the Word of God? If this is you, why not ask God to give you a desire for a deeper understanding of the Word? Why not ask him to fill in the gaps?
It is easy for us to be like the young girl protesting a cause she knew little about. She trusted that somebody at the protest understood the cause, making her protesting okay. Am I standing on the faith of my church leaders, teachers, and preachers? Or maybe a family member who seems to have it together spiritually?
Paul longed to come again to fill the Thessalonian faith gaps with the truth of God. He desired that the Thessalonians would have a personal, deep knowledge of their faith. He wanted them to have faith to withstand hardship and trials. He wanted their faith to be theirs and to be full.
God wants the same for us!
Anne Farnum 