delightful discipleship

1 Thessalonians 2:8  We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become dear to us.

Sharing the Gospel of Jesus with friends is a joy, a great pleasure.  Today is Tuesday morning.  On Tuesday I meet together at a coffee shop with two of my friends to share the Gospel together.  We talk about God's Word, we ask and answer questions, we laugh, we cry, we drink coffee together.  We spend hours together every week, with our Bibles and our hearts open.

God can use anything to bring the Gospel to someone's heart.  He can use a door-to-door evangelist or a street corner preacher.  He might speak through a tract, or arrange a divine appointment on an airplane.  But 1 Thessalonians 2 describes discipleship as I have been blessed to experience it- as the delightful sharing of God's truth among dear friends.  My Tuesday mornings aren't a church program, or a class.  They are a time of sharing the journey of discipleship together with people I love, encouraging, comforting, and urging one another to live lives worthy of God, who calls us into His kingdom and glory (v 12). 

My prayer is that this verse would describe my life every day, that each day I am sharing the Gospel and sharing my life with others.  Speaking the truth in love.  Encouraging and helping.  Correcting and comforting.  Loving God enough to live a life that pleases Him, and loving people enough to share God's love.  That life sounds delightful, doesn't it?