1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
In
many respects an elevator filled with people is a microcosm of our world today:
a large, impersonal institution where anonymity, isolation, and independence
are the uniform of the day. It shows us that people can be surrounded by other
people in a crowded setting, and not experience community. We can be a part
of a company, a club, or a church and not feel we belong or are accepted. We
can share a car pool, an office, and even a home and not have significant relationships.
Perhaps
an examination of the life of a man from antiquity, the apostle Paul, will shed
light on our modern predicament. The modern corporate person who is upwardly
mobile, with an emphasis on mobile, has nothing on Paul. He was born in Tarsus,
educated in Jerusalem, lived in Damascus, spent formative time in the desert,
moved to Antioch, and that was only the beginning. Professionally, he ventured
out from Antioch on three extensive missionary campaigns, traveling from city
to city. Yet wherever he went he established a band of people who huddled together
in supportive and encouraging community. How was he able to create significant
relationships even on the run, even in the midst of his mobility, even in his
transient travels?
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First
Thessalonians, one of Paul’s most personal letters, identifies some of the key
components for establishing and maintaining significant relationships.
1.
Concede our need for others (v. 7). Just as a child needs a mother we need each
other. This need for others is rooted deep within our souls. God planned it
that way. That’s why God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Gen.
2:18 NIV).
2.
Cultivate deep relationships (v. 8). Healthy people do not take relationships
lightly. They know that to survive in a cold and cruel world requires deep relationships.
But those relationship do not just happen, they require effort. They know
that they have to do more than just reach out to others; they have to share
their lives with others as well.
This
truth was one of the secrets of Paul’s establishment of supportive relationships.
Here was a man that every time he wrote to a church, he would always call by
name two, three, or four people that were very close to him. He had developed
significant relationships with these people. Paul knew that to survive in a
cold and cruel world would require deep relationships. But those relationships
would not just happen; they would require an effort on his part. He knew he
had to do more than just reach out to others; he had to share his life with
them.
Found
in verses seven and eight are three words that form the basis for developing
relationships which pass the test of time.