First Thessalonians 2:11-12: Walk in a Worthy Manner
Paul’s imitation of God continues as we progress through the second chapter of First Thessalonians. He has reminded them of his ministry to them in various ways. Most of the time, these have centered on the way he ministered and his conduct, as we saw yesterday. But now his emphasis is not so much on the example he put before them, but on what he taught them with his words.
He begins with a word picture in v 11:
11 For you know how, like a father with his children,
Paul has already likened himself to a nursing mother and now, just a few verses later, he says he was like a father to them. It is interesting to consider how different people might hear this verse. Depending on whether someone had a father who was gentle, gracious and interested in their children, or if they had a father who was harsh, severe and disinterested (and everything in between), the picture of a father with his children might conjure up different images.
In the Roman world, fathers tended to be more harsh and severe as they raised their children to walk in a certain way. While fathers in Greek families leaned toward being more tender.1 Of course, what Paul has in mind is a father who seeks to instruct and train his children in a loving and gracious way. Perhaps he even wants them to think of their heavenly Father, who cares for his children perfectly. Paul is not perfect, but he knows they have a perfect Father who knows exactly how to instruct his children.
So what has he done like a father:
12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you
Paul is probably talking about both public times teaching and preaching, and those intimate times when he has been in people’s homes and has talked to them about what it means to be a follower of Christ. The words exhort, encourage and charge span the range of offering comforting (encouraging) words to nudge his children along, all the way to serious and solemn (charge) discussions to bring them to their senses. Anyone that has children, or just understands humans in general, knows that we need all types of exhortation to propel us in our walk with Christ.
And what did he exhort, encourage and charge the Thessalonians:
to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
Paul does not describe here what it means to walk in a worthy manner, but from Ephesians 4:1-2, we can see that being humble, gentle, patient and bearing with one another in love would be included in what he has in mind. And their walk is to match up with their calling. Something that Paul puts before his readers to help them to consider how grand their calling is is to remind them that the God of the universe has included them in his everlasting kingdom and glory. Walk in a way that is appropriate to that calling!
Have you ever worn the wrong thing to a particular event and felt really out of place? I have been told to dress casual for an occasion, but when I showed up… well, let’s just say, it wasn’t a casual dress party. I did not dress according to the occasion.
When we consider the greatness and the grandness of our calling, it causes us to dress for the occasion, to walk accordingly. But we can also recognize that we have already been dressed appropriately. We have been robed in the righteousness of Christ, so let’s walk in a manner that reveals that to be the case. Effort to make the invisible visible.
So walking in a manner worthy of God is simply another way of saying imitate the God who has saved you. Live in a way that shows that you belong to him. You are a new creature who has been freed from sin and death. Walk in a way that is in line with who you are in Christ.
Perhaps one example for us of what it looks like to walk in a manner worthy of God is that we define success in this life according to how he defines it, not how the world defines it. In that way, we can see that part of success is being humble, gentle, patient and bearing with one another in love. Often, the world’s view of success would require rejecting those virtues as we seek to succeed in the world’s eyes. But in order to walk in a manner worthy of God, we may be required to forfeit success in the world’s eyes for success in the eyes of God.
This is a life-long pursuit that includes constant repentance on our part, but for the glory and honor of Christ and his gospel, we seek to live in a way that displays Jesus and our new life in him.
Here's another unfinished song from that unfinished cd of mine from ten years ago. It's a hymn from our Trinity hymnal with my music and chorus. The second verse is particularly relevant for our devotion today.
1 Gene L. Green, The Letters to the Thessalonians, 134-135.