I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on 1 Thessalonians 1-5

As I read this passage my mind went, I will write on this, no I will write on that.  The first thing that hit me once again was the conviction that I need to pray more.  I believe in the power of prayer.  Here Paul writes again about praying continuously for the believers to whom this letter is addressed.  I have written previously about how I am trying to increase the amount, and quality, of my prayer.  I realized the other night that the Holy Spirit has aided me in this although I am no where close to where I should be.  With the Holy Spirit’s help I will strive to pray more.  The next thing both scares and encourages me.  Paul speaks of being faithful in the face of trouble and persecution.  He warns that we should constantly be prepared for suffering and persecution.  This scares me because it suggests that suffering and persecution are in my future.  It encourages me because of the joy which Paul clearly had during his suffering.

Paul goes on the the meat of his message.  He writes that we should live in a way that pleases God.  In order to live such lives we must control our bodies, which means avoiding lustful passion.  Avoiding sexual sin is just the first step in living a life which pleases God.  In fact, God desires that we love others.  Paul reminds us to avoid sexual sin because our society often confuses sex for love, but sexual sin perverts love into a form of idolatry.