Wednesday 12th February
Read 1 Thessalonians 2:5-6
“You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed – God is our witness. 6 We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority.” (NIVUK)
Have you ever caught yourself saying ‘Do what I say not what I do’? It often is said, half in jest, when we have just been caught asking someone to do something that it is immediately obvious that we don’t do ourselves. It is an acknowledgement that we know what the right thing to do is, even if we don’t do it ourselves. It is also often said when we actually have the authority to speak and direct others to act. Like to our children!
Paul will have none of that. He knows that he could direct the Thessalonians, exert his God-given authority and command obedience to whatever it is they are believing. His character, what he did, matched his words and way of life so completely, that he could appeal to their memory. They lived before the Thessalonian believers with integrity not hypocrisy. They lived their lives in God’s sight and sought to please Him. Hypocrisy arises when we forget who we are seeking to please.
