Today's Passage - 1 Thess 2:7-8

1 Thessalonians 2:7-8   ...But we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children.  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 so dear to us.   Shepherds treat their flock of sheep much like how mothers treat their children.  There are examples of several manifestations of love.  First, it's a sacrificial love.  Mothers will give up their own right for their children and they always want to give the best to their children, and shepherds would do the same.  When we face the people of God, we are always eager to give them the best and to provide them with the best spiritual food.  We may even lay down our own right, like well-deserved vacation, in order to provide for the congregation.  When we are serving, we always think of how Jesus Christ sacrificed Himself, and how such sacrificial love drew us to Him.  Similarly, God wants to use our sacrificial love to draw the hearts of people to turn back to Jesus Christ.   Second, it's from a gentle heart.  The children make mistakes, mothers always try to restore them with a gentle heart.  The Bible says that those who are meek will "inherit the earth."  When we win a weak person back with gentleness, we will win their hearts.  When someone becomes weak and makes a mistake, we easily blame more than tolerate; however, if someone with a shepherd's heart tried to save the weak the person with gentleness, he can be turned back to God and once again be used by God.  God restored David with a gentle heart, so in the same way we ask God to help us to treat brothers and sisters with a gentle heart.   Third, striving to feed the children we love.  Throughout a child's life, a mother will use all means to try to feed the child according to his needs, until he's grown in to an adult.  We also need to remember those who've guided us before.  Throughout our Christian life, there must have been many brothers, sisters and shepherds who've made much effort to guide us, take care of us unselfishly, and feed us with sacrificial love and gentle heart.  We have so many people to thank because of God's tremendous grace!  May God help us not to just see the shortcomings of others, but to realize how much effort were made on us by these shepherds in order for us to enjoy the abundant grace of God, so we must give thanks for them.  On the other hand, they have encouraged us to minister to the brothers and sisters around with the same kind of sacrificial love and gentle heart.  May the Lord help us, let God's love flow out from our lives, so that we would minister to others like how mothers treat their children.   Pray with Pastor Tong   Lord, please pour your love inside us and remind us how you loved us like a mother loves the child.  Let us know how to love those around us with motherly love, so that their hearts will be touched and they will be drawn to turn back to you.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!   Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - Follow the project on Facebook ! Help us to reach our Phase I Target, and witness how God expands His Kingdom on earth!  Click here to donate online.