We have two big things coming up that remind me of Paul’s words in his first letter to the Thessalonians. Paul thinks back on his time spent with the Thessalonians, and he thanks God for three things in chapter 1 verse 3. He thanks God for their work of faith, their labor of love, and their endurance of hope.
Wednesday we begin our “Room Re-Do” with an all day paint session! It’s gonna be some relatively hard work. It’s gonna be hot, our muscles are gonna ache (unless you’re like me and don’t have any), and we’ll probably be sore on Thursday morning…
On July 17 we leave for “Mission GTX“! There, too, we are going to be laboring in housing projects, feeding around 300 poor and homeless people, helping with rehabilitation programs, passing out Bibles, praying with people, and much more. it’s gonna be some hard work! There will be days when we will ache in the evenings from our labor.
But, you need to know something about Paul’s remembrance of the Thessalonians. When Paul says they were laboring in love, he means they were doing things out of their love for God and for one another so that at the end of the day they literally ached from laboring in love so much! The Thessalonian believers were actually loving in a way that brought them into a state of discomfort! They showed the love of Christ in action.
The purpose of Wednesday’s painting and our Galveston mission trip is to “labor in love” in a way that resembles our Savior’s love for His sheep. John says
“By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”
So, on Wednesday and from July 17-22, let us pour ourselves out in labor of love. Let us love in deed and in truth!
God bless you guys! See ya Wednesday at 8:00AM. After we finish, we’ll go to Java Ranch for coffee and class.
Filed under: Love, Mission GTX, Room Re-Do, Trips | Tagged: labor of love, Love, mission trip, youth
