2 We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God’s fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, 3 so that no one would be unsettled by these trials.
We all need encouragement in our lives. Sometimes it seems like we are just scraping by, barely able to keep our heads up. Sometimes it seems as though nothing can bring us down. This is a normal part of life. We all go through seasons of highs and lows. We are not necessarily faltering in our faith walk when we hit the bottom, nor are we being strong when things seem to be going in our direction. The ups and downs don’t necessarily reflect our spiritual state. We can be triumphant in Christ, but feel down in the dumps. Feelings can move us in so many directions. Feelings often can’t be trusted. Paul saw the Thessalonian believers going through a very difficult trial and he sent Timothy to them in order to encourage them. He did not want the trials to trip them up. Sometimes we can get our eyes on the trials rather than on Christ and we lose our solid footing. We need strength and courage when we face trials. Both of these flow out of our relationship to Christ. And we can be channels to bring them to other believers when they are struggling in our faith. We must not get pulled away from our firm foundation when trials come. The flooding recently in various locations around the world shows the need for firm foundations. The storms are coming and we need to stay secure in Christ.
The Arnold Journey 