II Thessalonians 1:1-12
1:1-2 A peaceful and faithful greeting from Paul and the apostles to the Thessalonians for the second time.
1:3 For Paul and the apostles, there is nothing to do but give thanks to God for the faithful, compassionate work of the Thessalonians. We are inspired by our faith to be generous humans and the display of happiness and justice created by our work truly does reverberate around the earth.
1:4 The apostles are proud of the Thessalonians for cultivating and maintaining this ability: Patience and Faith in all persecutions and tribulations. Such are the tools required to survive, and even thrive in, life. The equation: Patience + Faith. We read that, we hear that, we understand that, we believe that but do we employ it in our actual lives? In each moment. It can be difficult (and especially at first). To persevere through those moments of doubt and difficulty we have to search for and then firmly demand patience within ourselves. Once we do that, we count on hope to keep our patience in place. We must force ourselves to remember that we are not alone even when we feel that way; we are not helpless; we are not lost; we are not irredeemable. Our faith allows us to hope, to believe that feeling better, doing better, and achieving are inevitable for us as God's children.
The circumstances of our lives may change with things and people entering and exiting it. Patience hope and faith allow us to accept those changes as elements of this classroom working to grow us (our character) and our spirituality. God is not going to leave any voids in your life, if something or someone leaves a space, it is because He has something else (better for you) planned for that spot.
I am reminded of this Rumi poem:
The Guest House1:5 The evidence of us being God's children is our confrontation against injustice and difficulty. Here on earth is an opportunity to learn about tribulation and thereby the purity and necessity of justice and compassion and perseverance.
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.
Be grateful for whatever comes.
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
— Rumi
1:6 God is looking out for you. He's observing how you are treated and cared for. If people are not treating you with the respect and kindness that you give them, He will personally seek out your justification.
1:7 He is our resting place. Our suite in Him is perfectly outfitted, tailored to our needs and happiness. It is our responsibility to walk into that spiritual room and accept the rest.
1:8-9 When humanity as we know it graduates from this classroom, God and His fellow-workers are going to ensure that evil and all of its formed are permanently, eternally destroyed (no rising from the embers).
1:10 Along with the joy of permanent destruction of evil is the joy of being with our compassionate Creator. Having remained with Him all along, His brilliance is all the more bright because we recognize Him as home, finally, eternally. We get to be in the presence of the entity who arranged our happiness, spiritual nourishment and survival here.
1:11 Be worthy of compassion by being compassionate, fulfilling our Creator's intention and hope for humanity and all life.
1:12 Let Spirit's work reflect our own work here... and let our own work reflect Spirit. In different manifestations of life we are kin, fellow-workers, loved and guided.
