You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

I remember when I played high school football, I was extremely focused on improving. In the off-season, I worked out at the gym five days a week with a fellow player who was also a bodybuilder. I stretched, trained, and practiced drills as often as I could. I also watched a lot of game film and took notes. All of this was valuable, but one thing made an even bigger difference: I studied elite defensive tackles like Howie Long and Reggie White. I practiced their forearm shiver and swim move. I watched how they tackled and modeled my game after theirs.

It would have been a dream to train under one of them in person—to be mentored by someone with that level of excellence.

In a similar way, the Thessalonians modeled their walk with Jesus after Paul, Silas, and Timothy. They were eager to follow the example of their spiritual leaders, pursuing maturity and excellence in their faith. And the fruit of that was remarkable.

Despite facing hardship and persecution, their roots in Christ grew deep. They stood firm in their faith and became known throughout the Roman Empire for it. The message of salvation “rang out” through their obedience to Jesus and their submission to godly leadership.

They observed how Paul, Timothy, and Silas responded to cruelty—with love. They imitated their generosity and hospitality, their prayer lives, and even their ability to ask wise, probing questions like Jesus did. They took note of the disciplines that enabled these leaders to live pure, impactful lives. And they practiced forgiveness, endurance, and grace.

They weren’t perfect, but they were teachable. They embraced the cross and lived out their faith with sincerity and boldness—and the ripple effects were far greater than they could have imagined.

Lord, help me to imitate you and those you’ve placed in leadership over me. May I receive instruction and correction as an expression of love. Teach me to discern sound advice and live in such a way that I’m always ready—because I might see you again any day now.