“We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.” 2. Thessalonians 1:3 (NIV)
Paul is writing about two marks of a healthy Christian: faith and love. But it’s not just faith and love, it is faith that is growing more and more and a love that is increasing. But what is a growing faith? A growing faith is one that trusts God more and more. It is one that believes God for great and mighty things. It is a faith that trusts even when circumstances scare us to the core. It is a faith that knows God and spends time understanding His love and power. It is a faith that is exercised in prayer and patience, trusting God with every circumstance. And growing love, what of that? It is a love that is steeped in action. A love that reaches out to those in need. A love that drops superficiality and replaces it with genuine concern. A growing love is sacrificial and selfless. It is a love that forgives and then forgives again. It is a love that prefers others above itself. The Apostle Peter also wrote that we are to grow in our faith and love. In his letter he says, “For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Today, ask God to help you increase in your faith and love.
Today’s cup has been brewed by Dan Odera