The church in Thessalonica was having a tough time. 

They were getting assaulted on the outside (persecution) as well as on the inside (false teaching).

Despite these hardships, they were doing well. Paul praised them with these words: “We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing” (2 Thessalonians 1:3).

What makes a church healthy? A lot of people measure church health by smiles and numbers. If people seem to be “happy” and if there are a lot of people showing up on Sundays and to events, then they think it must be healthy. But that’s not necessarily the case.

A better metric for church health is what Paul highlights in this letter. In the midst of combating persecution and false teaching they are growing in faith and love. Their faith is focused on God their Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (verse 2), and their love for one another is increasing.

We don’t know how much laughter was happening in the church in Thessalonica. They surely experienced God’s joy. But at the same time they were going through a lot of difficulty.

We also don’t know how big the church was. It most likely started in a house (or a series of houses), so it was probably a fairly intimate community of believers. But no matter the size, they were faithful and loving.

As you think about the focus and health of your church, and as you think about your role in that church, seek to grow in faith and love, beginning with you. 

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Notes:

–The Up Devotional is published 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) and returns on November 27, 2023.

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.