10 C's from Nehemiah (Part 2)

In my last post, I shared that I wanted the precious women who will lead Truth for Women forward to know that my concern for them is great. The truth is, the work that God puts on our hearts to do for Him is impossible apart from Him. Or to put it in "Nehemiah" terms - the work is great and extensive! In order to accomplish a work of God - it will come at great personal cost and sacrifice.

Maybe it's because I am leaving women and a work I love, but as I've been studying 1 Thessalonians, I've been taken back by the depth of emotion Paul expressed toward the believers there. He really loved them. He "ached" to know how they were doing! He describes his tender affection for them as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. What a visual. He says he had so fond an affection for them that he not only imparted the gospel but his own life and they had become very dear to him. WOW. No wonder he ached and longed for news about how they were doing. As I read and studied this book, the spiritual mother in me was totally tracking with Paul's emotions. I was thinking about how I feel about my "girls." How much I love them and how deeply concerned I am for their spiritual health and for the spiritual health of this community.

The work that God called Paul to accomplish was great and extensive and it came at great personal cost and sacrifice. Paul knew that to follow hard after Christ would cost him everything he once held held dear. He also knew this would be true for every follower of Christ. This is what Paul says in 1 Thess. 3:1-3,5:

Therefore when we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith, so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this.... For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain.

A couple of Greek word studies later and this is what I learned:

Disturbed = to move (the mind of one); to agitate, disturb, trouble.
Afflictions = a pressing, pressing together, pressure; oppression, affliction, tribulation, distress, straits.

Paul knew they were destined to get squeezed! No question about it. He would be - they would be - we will be afflicted, pressed, under pressure, oppressed, tried, distressed and in straits. But Paul didn't want them to be moved in their mind or disturbed by these afflictions. Boy can I relate to that. How many times have my afflictions moved me in my mind? All of a sudden I forget who I am (in Christ), where I am (in the world) and act as though some strange thing was happening to me (1 Peter 4:12) rather than remembering that I too am destined for affliction. Paul's concern wasn't for their affliction. Paul's concern was for their faith. Paul knew they needed to stand firm until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. I don't know about you, but that really got my attention. As a good spiritual daddy, Paul knew that in order to "keep the faith," they needed the kind of encouragement that would strengthen their faith!

Because I love my "girls" I have great concern for them, their faith and their work of ministry. I am concerned that their faith walk and their work of faith will become so difficult for them that they will be moved in their mind and unable stand firm until the end. Because I know they are destined for affliction... Because I know the work God is calling them to is great and extensive... Because I know in order to accomplish the work God has prepared for them to do will be at great personal cost and sacrifice... Because I love them so, I wanted to encourage them in a way that would strengthen their faith. I'm leaving and will no longer be around so how can I do that? I will give to them, what God gave to me... The 10 C's from Nehemiah.