The Blessings of Sharing Life
I remember the weekend my family moved from our home in Louisiana to our new ministry and home in Missouri. There were many bittersweet moments and many memories shared. In the hustle of packing and loading, a longtime friend, more like family, showed up to send us off. Our family friend, Dominique, showed up that weekend. God allowed this dear saint of Jesus to come into my life, first, back in 2003 when I transferred to Leavell College in New Orleans. Dominique was vibrant and fun-loving; Christ-honoring and honest. As the years have gone by, she has become a friend to my wife and an aunt to my children. We don’t get to visit like we used to, but when she comes to our home she brings smiles, laughter, and encouragement. On this particular day of moving she showed up with lots of Chick-fil-A and she helped us pack and wrangle the kids. As we said goodbye she gave us all hugs. There were smiles and tears as we departed.
She is one of those friends who can keep you honest and make you laugh. She showed up to help when we needed it. She showed up to share in this part of our lives.
Part of being in this Christian walk is sharing life with others. Through business, apathy, laziness, or selfishness, we often forfeit some of the wonderful benefits of sharing life with one another.
In writing to the church in Thessalonica the apostle Paul is looking back to his first visit. In describing his first visit he says,
“We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too” (1 Thess. 2:8).
When we share life, we do so in the Christian community, pouring into one another, bearing burdens, and encouraging each other in Christ.
In this verse, we see the need and the benefit of sharing life together. From this verse and those that follow we find five benefits of sharing life with other believers.
Sharing Life Together:
1. Produces a greater love for one another
Paul states in the first part of verse 8 that it was precisely because they loved the church that they “share with” [them].
When we share life together, we grow in love and affection for each other. We view believers, not simply as church acquaintances, but as dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
2. Patterns a servant heart to one another
In verse 9 Paul states, “Don’t you remember dear brothers and sisters, how hard we worked among you.”
Paul and his team worked diligently with and for the believers in Thessalonica, demonstrating to them, showing them a patterned attitude and behavior of how a servant of Jesus is to work and serve.
When we share life together, we get to model the heart of Christ to others.
3. Presents Christ to one another
In the second half of verse 9, Paul writes, “Night and day we toiled to earn a living so that we would not be a burden to any of you as we preached God’s Good News to you.”
Paul worked diligently to model Christ in his work ethic so he could consistently present the gospel to the church.
When we share life together, we have the wonderful privilege to present the gospel of Christ to one another and in doing so we remind one another of the gospel and its impact on our lives.
4. Provides for and protects one another
Paul states in verse 11, “And you know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children.”
Paul loved the Thessalonian church as if he was their father.
The role of a father is to provide for and protect his family. The father is the head of the house and as such he has the role of provider and protector. He provides for the family both physically and spiritually. He physically works to provide income. He works spiritually to provide the gospel to his family. He protects his family both physically and spiritually. Physically, he ensures the safety of the family by not placing them in unnecessary danger. Spiritually, he protects his family as he prays for them to grow in Christ and be unified with Christ.
5. Propels each other to Christ
Paul states in the first part of verse 12 that he “Pleaded with [them] encouraged [them] and urged [them] to live [their] lives in a way that God would consider worthy.”
Paul did all he could, he used all his energy and skills to help the church develop a passion and intentionality to propel the church to live worthy of their salvation.
Our friendships and relationships are not to be engaged in without purpose. In every relationship we have, we are given the blessing of propelling each other to Christ. We can do this through prayer, reading Scripture together, holding each other accountable, and simply enjoying our time together.
God has used our great friend Dominque along with many other friends to bless our family. It is my prayer that I can pour my life into others the way others have poured into my life.
Too often we don’t utilize the blessing of friendships and relationships. God provides us many opportunities to help others grow in Christ and one of the ways he does this is by allowing us to have people with whom we can share our lives.
May we be intentional about sharing life with others and use our time together, whether short or long seasons, to strengthen each other in Christ.
Let us intentionally share life with one another and experience Christ’s blessings that produce love for one another, pattern a servant heart for one another, present Christ to one another, provide for and protect one another, and propel each other to Christ.
Father, thank you for my friends and family. Thank you for those who have poured Christ into my life and been an example of his love, kindness, and humility. Help me to be intentional in developing Christ-honoring relationships that bring you glory and move others closer to Jesus. Amen.
In His Grace,
BD