Overcoming Trials, Lessons from Paul - 1&2 Thessalonians

 Overcoming Trials

Paul has a few themes in his letters to the Thessalonians as well as his instructions; we’ll look at overcoming trials today. Paul had to skip out in the night following trouble in Thessalonica; he skipped out under cover of darkness. This would sound like guilt, but this was also a way to stay safe. Given that a mob was running things at the time and getting people thrown in jail, Paul and Silas were sent away by the believers. I am inclined toward the ‘safe decision’ since it was the believers who squirreled them away (Acts 17:10) in the dead of night.

Paul was persecuted because he was construed as having said that Jesus was a rival to the emperor, by having said that Jesus is King. I read recently that Paul was likely even called an atheist, because instead of being a monotheist. Apparently, the locals were so accustomed to being polytheists, that a monotheist was equated with atheist. Such exaggerations are commonplace today, and it is interesting to think that such things were done thousands of years ago as well: exaggerate that Jesus is a rival king and that Paul was atheist. Yet, these are the ways that we most commonly find ourselves under trial. We are misunderstood.

What to do in trials

Paul is not the first to say that we can expect trials and adversity to come our way. Jesus said it (John 16:33) as well as the authors of the psalms (Ps 34:19). God even told Moses that He would test the people (Ex 16:4). What Paul writes to the Thessalonians is not that they should get over this, but rather that they are in good company, having suffered at the hands of their own people, just as our brethren did (1 Thess 2:14). He continues, saying (1 Thess 3:2; 2 Thess 1:4) in trials we should

·       hold fast to each other

·       strengthen one another

·       encourage one another

·       not lose faith

·       stand firm – persevere

Lies we hear

Paul does not say to ignore the difficulties or to set them behind us. Those are lies we tell ourselves, or hear from the enemy, like:

·       I’m the only one

·       No one will understand

·       It is no big deal. It’s not important

·       It is only my burden to carry

·       I can handle it

·       No one need know

·       I just can’t deal with it right now

Christ as the Center

I am struck by how many ‘I’ statements there are in this list of lies. It is indeed when we take the focus off Christ that the trials and burdens become overwhelming. But with Him at the center, things regain their proportions.

Paul instead acknowledges trials and that the enemy is always at work (1 Thess 3:5). He encourages the Thessalonians to seek strength in each other and in God. Just as Moses shared his burdens with the other leaders in the power of the Holy Spirit (Num 11:17), we too are called to share our trials, temptations, adversities, and challenges. How often have we heard these lies that kept us from sharing? It is in sharing trials that we gain strength and encouragement in return.

Back to what Paul tells us, what actions we can take to overcome trials. Faith, encourage and strengthen each other to persevere. I think that the key is in the first, to hold fast to each other, because when together, we can speak words of encouragement, strength, and perseverance. Since faith comes from hearing the message (Rom 10:17), we know that spending time together reading the Word will also lead to overcoming trials. Trials and persecutions will come. We need to decide if we will overcome or if we will succumb, if we will listen to the Word or listen to the lies.