Two Commendations

     The church in Thessalonica had several problems, particularly some stemming from a misunderstanding about the return of Christ and the state of the faithful who had already died. But the Holy Spirit through Paul did not just focus on their problems but commended them for several outstanding virtues. Among them was the growth of their faith and the abundance of charity toward each other (2 Th. 1:1-3).

  Seeing how these traits are acceptable to God, we should strive to imitate them in our lives and congregational life. It takes effort but good things always take effort. Let us labor for the good that we are capable of achieving.