1Thessalonians 1:2-3
We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Faith, hope, and love – they are the three things that the Bible says will be with us eternally. Too often we think about them in spiritual terms. We get the idea that these are just good feelings that Christians should enjoy. Like they are wonderful gifts that should be tucked quietly away in our hearts.
NO WAY!!! Faith, hope, and love are the sparks that ignite our ministry before God. There are three different things that happen as a result of their influence on us.
First, faith produces our work. That word literally means your assignment. It is the task that God has given you. As you go before God in faith, He gives you grace for the calling He has placed upon your life. Faith causes you to stand in your assignment.
Then comes love – it prompts us to labor. That word means to use up your strength in performing a task. Without the love of God, we will never pour ourselves into the calling He has placed upon us. We are called to work with all of our strength. Without love, that will never happen.
Finally, hope inspires endurance. It’s easy to start out strong, but it’s how we finish that matters the most. Hope is the biblical word for expectation. If I do my part, then I can expect God to show up and do His part. That’s what keeps me going even when I don’t feel like it. Hope gives you the endurance to persevere to the end.
Let faith, hope, and love give you more than just a warm feeling. Let them spur you on to accomplishing your destiny in the Lord’s Kingdom.
The Spirit and the Word 