Appreciation of Others

"We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." -- 1 Thessalonians 1:2

Paul opens his letter to the church in Thessalonica with these words, and what encouraging words they are! In this brief opening, he offers words of appreciation for the members of the community. He thanks God and prays for them. He notices the work they do and the faith, hope, and love they possess. He cares about them, he's proud of them, he is thankful for them -- he loves them. And he's making sure they know that they are loved.

We all have people whose works of faith and love and steadfast hope have inspired us. These are people who have strengthened and encouraged us along the way, maybe even at a low point. Who do you give thanks for today? Who are you remembering in your prayers? Who has been meaningful to you in your journey of faith? Take a moment to let these persons know how much you appreciate them. Let them know how much they are loved and remembered today.

Being the Best

 As I watch the 2014 Winter Olympics this week, I have noticed that many athletes celebrate placing 2^nd or 3^rd in their event. Although they did not win, being 2^nd or 3^rd means they receive an Olympic medal. Still, the competitor in me finds this odd. Why celebrate coming up short of winning? After all, “If you ain’t first, you’re last.” (Reese Bobby, Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby)

With all due respect, Reese Bobby had it all wrong. The athletes who celebrate being 2^nd or 3^rd do so because they compete with themselves, not other athletes.  Unconcerned with being the best in their event, they are only concerned with being the best they can be.

How often do we measure our success by how we place in the standings of those around us? Even Jesus’ closest followers did it, multiple times being caught arguing about who among them was the greatest. Each time, Jesus reminded them that greatness is not achieved by being better than others. It’s achieved by being a better version of ourselves. Don’t worry about how you measure up to other people. Are you being the best you that you can be?