Numbers 1-2; 1 Thessalonians 2
I have always been one that shied from conflict. I hated getting people worked up and getting people angry with me. Conflict and fighting have always been things that I avoid most. While I have that "peace-keeping" thing down, I have to remind myself that conflicts are not bad - in fact, they help us grow in our knowledge and view of the world outside of our bubbles. What you do with that conflict is where you get into trouble. I have learned, however, that there is one battle that is always worthy of fighting, and that is the spreading of the Good News to all people.
Numbers opens up to a feel of military organization. God directs the people on how to organize and takes a census of how many people there are per tribe. While I must admit, Numbers isn't my favorite book in the Bible, I can see how it had to be used to organize so many people. The Israelites had faced hardships and frustration, but as we enter into Numbers, we see a shift in the dynamics, as the prepare for battle. I firmly believes that God uses those frustrations and conflicts in our lives to teach us and grow us into facing bigger battles ahead.
One thing you notice about the tribes, is that God ordered them to camp around the Tabernacle, which stood in the center of the camp. This is very symbolic and meaningful as we look at our own lives and consider if we are in fact keeping Christ at the center of everything we do. If we fight alongside Christ, we do not fight in vain. However, if we go about doing our own thing without Christ in the center, we may find ourselves fighting against Him, and we will be fighting that battle forever.
The people of Thessolonica are no different. We read about the suffering that they endured as they formed their lives in Christ. Paul reminds them that it is important to please God, and not people. I personally struggle with this. I find approval from people more than I try to find it in Christ, and that leads to trouble. People change, God never changes. For Paul, sharing the Good News was a battle in Thessolonica. They had to work hard as they proclaimed it. They continued to walk alongside the people, to share something that was of Christ, and not of man. You can sense Paul's relief when he states that the people took the message and ran with it. Though the battle to share the Good News was just that for Paul and the people of Thessolonica, as we read about the persecution they endured, the people knew that it was a battle worthy of all they had.
Do you fight battles against God or with God alongside you? Living in the Word and proclaiming our allegiance to Christ can sure seem hard at times. We as a country are very blessed to be able to worship openly and freely, while there are so many others that aren't so friendly with Christ and worshiping Him openly. The battle to proclaim the Good News, however, is one that should be top of our list as Christ-followers. It is the Hope of the world and the Light in the darkness that can cover this world. Share it. Fight for it.
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