We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith…
1 Thessalonians 3:2 NIV
Establish and Exhort
Canada’s history goes back way before the country as we know it today. For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples lived on the land, each with their own cultures, traditions, and systems of government. European exploration started in the late 15th century, with French and British settlers shaping the political landscape. But the big moment was 1867 when the British North America Act created the Dominion of Canada. This act combined three colonies—Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada—into one country.
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In Romans 12, one of the motivational gifts listed is the exhorter, also known as the encourager. I’m so glad that God has included the gift of encouragement within the Body of Christ. We all need those who are uniquely gifted to come alongside and positively urge us on as we walk with Jesus and grow in grace. Paul understood this, and so, as his heart went out to the believers in Thessalonica, and unable himself to go, he sent along Timothy. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 3:2: “We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith…” Faith, especially in hard seasons, needs encouragement. It needs strengthening. Even the strongest believers can feel shaken when opposition rises, when loneliness sets in, or when obedience costs more than expected. God still uses people to do this work today. Sometimes He sends someone to speak truth into our fear. Sometimes, He sends someone to sit quietly beside us when words fail. And sometimes—if we’re listening—He calls us to be that Timothy for someone else.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley