1 Thessalonians 3:1-3 – Therefore when we could bear it no longer…we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.
What comes out of a bottle of ketchup when you squeeze it under pressure? Ketchup.
What comes out of a bottle of mustard when you squeeze it under pressure? Mustard.
What comes out of a tube of toothpaste when you squeeze it under pressure? Toothpaste.
What comes out of a Christian when you squeeze them under pressure? It depends.
Entitlement, bitterness, anger, jealousy, cursing, and worse comes out of some Christians.
Gratitude, forgiveness, joy, generosity, worship, and better comes out of other Christians.
In 1 Thessalonians, Paul is writing to new Christians who are being squeezed by the pressure of everything from demonic spiritual warfare, false religious teachers, intense pressure from a godless corrupt culture, and their own ignorance as they are new to God’s Word without a lot of Bible teaching to fall back on.
The truth is, we often don’t really know what is in us until we are squeezed under pressure. The squeezing and pressure on the outside reveal who we really are on the inside. For this reason, the worst seasons of life can be the best opportunity to grow in Christlikeness for two reasons.
One, if what comes out of us is bad, we can repent, be forgiven, and be empowered by the Holy Spirit to experience deep healing and change from the inside out.
Two, if what comes out is good, we can rejoice, and see God use our test as our testimony to encourage others.
How do you react when you’re squeezed under pressure? What can you do to make sure fruits of the Spirit come out of you in these circumstances?
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