Verse of the week

'Now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. How can we thank God enough for you...?' 1 Thessalonians 3:8-9

What happens when someone becomes a Christian? Their eternal destiny changes. They pass from death to life, from alienation from God to friendship with God. And every day they keep going as a Christian, so they get closer to that wonderful eternal destiny.
As Christians, then, when we see someone else become a Christian, we have seen something more significant than anything else we'll ever see. And when that person keeps going, continues to stand firm in the Lord, we are seeing someone moving towards a perfect eternal life with Christ. Just looking at a Christian friend in that way should give us more joy than anything else - to look at them and think 'Once you were facing the eternal death of separation from God, but now, because of Jesus, I will see you in the New Creation when we live there with Christ.'
Paul had not seen these Thessalonian Christians for some time, and he was concerned whether they were keeping going in the face of persecution from those around them. Then one day he heard that these young Christians were keeping going, were doing well, were standing firm in the Lord. And what joy that brought him - 'now we really live'!
And his joy in seeing others keeping going in the Christian faith leads him to give thanks to God. In fact, Paul is so aware of how wonderful it is that these Thessalonians have become Christians and kept going as Christians that he knows he can never thank God enough. However long he spends on his knees in thanksgiving, he'll never have said enough.
We all have Christian friends who we can look at and see keeping going with Christ. Many of us will have Christian friends who we once lived amongst but now are parted from. What joy it ought to bring us when we hear, by email or phone or letter, that they are standing firm in the Lord! And how much ought we to fall on our knees and give great thanks to God for those lives, lives he has saved and is sustaining until heaven.
So often the state of our bank balance, or our wardrobe, or our football team, is of more importance to us than the state of our Christian friends - might it be that we would 'really live' when we find out about Christians who are keeping going, might it be that we would thank God properly for what he has done for those friends of ours.