Therefore, when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind in Athens alone, so we sent Timothy to establish you in your faith.  I Thess 3:1,2

Paul is writing to a small group of believers in Thessalonica, new converts whom he had brought to faith in Christ.  Right after their conversion, he had to flee for his life, and he knew that once he left, they would be persecuted.  What would happen if he left them alone?  Would they deny their faith?  If authorities knocked on their door demanding that they recant or go to jail, would they still believe that the decision they made to embrace Jesus as the Messiah was a good one?  Would they be strong enough to handle persecution?

Paul is safe in Athens with Silas and Timothy.  But he knows that if he goes back to check on his new converts, he will be killed.  His heart aches for them.  “When I could bear it no longer…” indicates how worried he is about them.

Has anyone ever worried about you like this?  Someone expressing concern for us is not always positive.  Overprotective parents who smother their child will ruin future chances for an “Apostle Paul”.  The concern of a mentor might feel like a familiar invasion of boundaries.  But more often than not, this isn’t our experience.  We live in growing isolation inside the church.  We put on our best face, take up a spot in a pew, and rarely reveal how tenuous our faith is.  No one knows that they should be worried about us.  Imagine if, throughout our lifetime, we were used to getting a phone call that began with, “I could endure it no longer without checking on you.”  Some will read this today and cry for the want of it.

This is the level of discipleship that pleases God.  If your church doesn’t provide that, either be the catalyst to shake up things or find a church where you can be part of a small group that practices true soul care.  Life is hard, disappointments are plentiful, and pressures are nearly unbearable.  You must be in a place where others look out for you. There is someone out there, like Paul, who longs to stand there with their arm around your shoulder, cheering you on to stand in truth, serving you in faithfulness.  And what’s equally true is that there are many who need the same from each of us.

Biblical soul care was your intention and  Amen