A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1 Thessalonians 3:3 that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.

We are not destined to be unmoved.

A careful reading of this passage will uncover an untruth I leaned on for years.

Let me explain. I would read this passage as follows.

Let no one be moved by these afflictions for you know that we are destined to be unmoved, destined to never falter, destined to always and only be sturdy, stalwart, and without stumbling.

Of course as I read this, (or at least was encouraged to think this way of my life in Christ), I have to admit that inside I became despondent, down and depressed, for I knew otherwise. I had been “moved” by affliction, torn down and ravaged by the afflictions arriving in my spiritual life.

I wasn’t experiencing that abundant life that had been promised! My abundant life was not all that abundant!!!

It is so important to take my time with the Word, to consider what the author is trying to say, before I make my assumptions, before I walk away from the Word with an untruth!

Paul is giving the Thessalonians a challenge, an exhortation as described in our earlier verse. Let’s read the short passage together.

1 Thessalonians 3:2,3 …..we sent Timothy ….to establish and exhort you in your faith, that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.

Paul provided exhortation, through Timothy for a distinct purpose. And what was that purpose Carl?

That no one would be moved. That means that without these exhortations, we may be moved. Afflictions that come will move us, will impact us, will “wag” us.

Wag? What confusing wordplay are you trying to get over on us this time Carl? Well it seems Paul used a term here that was typically used of dogs “moving” their tails. Dogs wag their tail.

If I follow the metaphor, it is the affliction that “wags” the believer as the dog wags the tail. The tail has no say in the matter, but is only a helpless appendage that wags as the dog desires.

Afflictions can have that power over us. Complete control and impact. Unless we are warned, exhorted, taught and built up by the Word, afflictions can dominate our lives.

My friend, believers are destined for affliction, but we are not without power in the midst of the trial or turbulence. We are not to be tossed about, back and forth, without a response from our inner man. We will have trials, troubles and problems. It is the life of the follower. As a follower though, we have the opportunity to find strength in the Word, to find strength in the the truth that we can cling to when all else is falling around about us.

Beyond that, is it not the grace of God that provides each of us those “Timothy’s” to enter our lives, either through congregational messages, or via personal challenges, that we also may find strength to stand. This is Paul’s specific message to the Thessalonians in this passage, that Paul was sending a helper to provide a strengthening, a source of resistance against afflictions. Paul is reminding the Thessalonian church of the believer’s fate to experience affliction, but also of the resulting strength we can find in our Savior.

Through afflictions, we can stand, not “wagged” about every which way, but firm in our faith in the Savior.

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.