So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.
1 Thessalonians 2:8
Ministry isn’t for those who demand social distance. To be a Christian committed to disciple-making means we commit to getting close to people. It’s about vulnerability, friendship, transparency, intimacy, and love like a family. It’s messy sometimes. You aren’t transactional and aloof. You must be interpersonal, sacrificial, and involved. It’s a personal commitment. Paul had just shared in verse seven that his missionary team was gentle, like a nursing mother with an infant, when bringing the gospel to Thessalonika. They were sacrificial. They provided care and support and nurture. And their hearts got close to the people they loved with the gospel.
When we make disciples in the church we make close friends and intimate family. We don’t hold back. We give. We love. We serve. We win. We lose. We care. We pour ourselves into one another. No need is too big to go unmentioned… No problem too difficult not to share… No heartache too personal or deep… No sin kept secret. Our lives are open and wrapped together around our Savior and it is a wonderful, dear kind of life.
God help us not to be mere members of churches that feel cold and uncaring. Save us from being stale, procedural, and institutional. Give us these hearts of affection that Paul and company described here! Let’s share the gospel, and all ourselves, together because our lives are so very dear together. May we know the blessings of such close and meaningful life-giving community!
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