The Thessalonian believers chose to willingly trust Christ as Saviour and to obediently become His followers. According to Paul’s account, these believers endured great difficulties because of their faithfulness to the Lord. Paul commended them for their patience and faith for enduring these persecutions and tribulations. Unfortunately, far too many Christians today are unwilling to live godly (2 Timothy 3:12) for fear that living the Christian life will bring persecution and ridicule. These believers in Thessalonica understood what it was like to have people scoff at them for their boldness in the faith. They understood what it felt like to be mocked and cursed for their unwillingness to compromise. This is why Paul praised them. They endured the persecutions and tribulations with patience and faith. The world needs more Thessalonian type believers in the church today.
Prior military personnel know the difficulties associated with functioning as a good soldier. Their training focuses on teaching them how to endure physical and emotional hardships unique to their service. They learn how to follow and obey their chain of command and frequently do things commanded without always understanding the how and why. Paul’s letter to Timothy relates the Christian life to that of a soldier. Timothy, as well as every other faithful Christian, is challenged with difficulties based solely on the fact that he is a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul instructed Timothy how to react during those times when the difficulties arise. According to Paul, Timothy was to “endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” The Christian life is not supposed to be a life of ease. Fortunately, with Christ in focus, things take on a clearer focus with a notable purpose and plan. The Christian life contains “hardness” but submission to the true Commander in Chief helps the suffering seem like a light affliction (2 Corinthians 4:17). Like the good soldier, the faithful Christian needs to learn how to endure hardness in order to avoid bitterness and bewilderment during life’s battles.
Life throws many obstacles in the believer's path. Oftentimes, these obstacles cause people to stumble and err from the truth. In fact, the Bible prophesies of the absence of people who are able to endure sound doctrine during the last days. Unfortunately, this is a major stumbling block and a lofty hurdle for modern Christianity to overcome. The typical Christian deems the Bible too difficult. He is more at ease avoiding it like the plague. In truth, the Bible is a difficult book. Yet, it is difficult not because of hard words, but because of the hard truths contained within its pages. The Bible is not likened to a sword in vain—it pierces the heart and reveals man’s deepest and darkest secrets. The sword does its most efficient work through Bible reading, Bible preaching, and Bible teaching. Yet, regardless of the path truth travels, believers must be able to endure sound doctrine.
