Share the Gospel and Your Lives with Others

"We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us." (1 Thessalonians 2:8)

Paul, Silas, and Timothy had a deep affection for the believers in Thessalonica. They were well pleased/delighted to share not only God's gospel but also their lives with these new believers. They were willing to put themselves at their disposal without reservation. True love (agape) is to love like Jesus. It is unconditional, sacrificial, and selfless. It involves doing the hard thing. It's much easier to just share the gospel with someone and then never see that person again than to invest our lives in that person. This is a drawback of short-term mission. Even though there's some benefit to short-term mission, long-term mission is much more effective and yields more fruit.

"The gospel is always most effective when it is shared by people who joyfully give themselves away." (David C. McCasland)

"People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care!" (Unknown)

"The message you may give,
The words that come from you,
Most truly honor Jesus
When love is given too."
(D. De Haan)

Prayer: Thank You, Abba Father, for the Body of Christ! Please help us love one another and share our lives with one another. Please enable us to love and serve like Jesus. Please empower us to live gospel-centered lives and faithfully share the gospel with those who need to hear. In Jesus's Name, I pray. Amen.