Tomorrow begins today!

by Paul Zabel

President Paul Zabel

“For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 3:8).

In the third chapter of his first letter to the Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul’s warm love and concern for others clearly shines through. From this chapter it appears that parting from Timothy and leaving him at Thessalonica was a sacrifice Paul made reluctantly. So it was that Paul could hardly wait for Timothy’s return to him. He could hardly wait for Timothy to return bringing his report on how the Christians at Thessalonica were getting on.

When Timothy reported the news that the Thessalonians had not only held on but had also grown in their faith, the Apostle Paul could not wait, but immediately dispatched a letter back to them with the message that, “now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord.” From this we can deduce what a wonderful blessing God gives to us in our Christian friendships. What warmth and joy, as well as comfort and support, these relationships provide for us!

By focusing on Paul’s immediate response to the news of the Thessalonians’ faith, we are also reminded of what a wonderful thing Christian friendship is—something not to put off until tomorrow, but instead to be pursued today. We can only imagine what Paul’s friendly words of encouragement and his subsequent visits to Thessalonica meant to the Christians there.

Have you ever put off a task, an obligation, or failed to give a response when you should have? Was it not more difficult to do each day that you waited or put off doing it? Unless we become partners with God early in life, we may never get around to it. Our living should become like that of the old Scotsman who was on his death bed. A friend of his asked, “Is there anything I can do for you now?” The dying man replied, “No, I had my roof repaired before the storm came.”

If we live our life with God and allow Him to mend and repair the structure of our life when it is damaged by fear, worry, anxiety, and sin—then, we can face anything victoriously. And that opportunity is given to each one of us now.

The devil is most happy when he can cause people to forsake the relationship God wants to have with them. A legend (a make-believe story) recalls how Satan once called the evil angels together and asked, “Which of you can figure out the best plan for wrecking humankind?” One evil angel said, “I will go down to earth and dwell among the people. Then I will tell them that there isn’t any heaven.” The devil replied, “No, you can’t go; they will never believe that.”

The second evil angel said, “I will go down to earth and dwell among the people. Then I will tell them that there isn’t any hell.” To that Satan replied, “No, you can’t go; they will never believe that.”

The third evil angel said, “I will go down to earth and dwell among the people, and I will tell them that there isn’t any hurry about receiving the love, mercy, and grace of God.” That evil angel has dwelt among us ever since. And this is what he constantly keeps telling us: “There isn’t any hurry in believing in Jesus as our Lord and Saviour from sin, or in placing our sins at His feet. There isn’t any hurry about establishing the family altar in your home. There isn’t any hurry about taking time to pray. There will always be a tomorrow.”

Today, when we hear the Master’s voice, may we not harden our hearts to the outpouring of His love and forgiveness upon us!

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Rev. Paul Zabel is President of the East District of Lutheran Church–Canada.

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