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 3:5 For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.

Paul was so human. Many times in my walk, I thought of this apostle, this great man of God, as one who could do no wrong, who could walk on water if he wanted to. But he didn’t! Only One did that, and we know Him. He was so human also, yet so much more!

Paul could bear it no longer! Paul has previously directed his converts, I should say those who follow the Lord, to refrain from all anxiousness. I can hear him telling me not to worry!

Philippians 4:6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

But Paul, who has provided this direction for the believer in his epistles, shows his humanity here. He speaks of his concern, his anxiousness over the condition of those in the faith.

This is the human Paul, the mighty man of God who could not contain his concern for others. He was stricken with concern about others.

And there lies the solution to the apparent confusion between Paul’s direction to believers regarding worry and of his own admission of worry in this passage.

In Philippians, might Paul have been discussing personal concerns, private issues, items that are related to the needs of the person? I’m not sure I want to limit Paul’s use of the term “anything” in the Philippians passage to some small segment of a believers life, whether it be financial concerns, employment opportunities or relationship issues, even though verse 6 is smack dab in the middle of a passage describing two women fighting.

Euodia and Syntyche surely needed reasonableness (vs 5) and possibly Paul was directing this specific restriction of rejecting anxiousness to the relationship between these two women.

Nevertheless, there are abundant passages to consider the believers relationship to anxiousness and worry, directing us to refrain from worry! I am sure my readers are thinking of some of the passages even as I type this sentence!

But could there be a situation where anxiousness is possibly fueled by good motives, not necessarily selfish motives?

Maybe, for I assume those who read this will agree that any anxiousness that is due to greed, or anger or disputation, or any other evil action or thought is surely forbidden. That type of anxiousness is born of evil desires.

But in this case, Paul’s heart is breaking, thinking of his young church that may be falling victim to some trap of the enemy. His anxiousness is born out of a love for someone other than himself. He is tore up over the condition of his people and he just needs to know of their faith. He so wants to hear that his labor has not been in vain, that these folk are not victim to the ravages of the enemy.

Was Paul worried in a selfish way? Did Paul exhibit an anxiousness that was solely to satisfy his own needs? Maybe – I know I want to see him satisfy Philippians 4:6, and yet it is also good to see the great apostle weak and worried over his people.

Oh – the tensions we as believers experience in our lives. No wonder it will take all of eternity to understand the ways of the Lord. Hopefully, that will be enough “time” to give thanks to a Savior who rescues us from the enemy, and even from our own worries!

Praise God.

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