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We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.

Sometimes a simple compliment can make your entire day. You might even remember a special compliment years later. Words of affirmation and compliments remind us that we’re on the right track. They build confidence and diligence.

Paul gave the believers in Thessalonica one of the most beautiful compliments of all: “Your faith is growing. Your love for one another is increasing.” In fact, Paul was so impressed that he bragged about them in other churches!

But how did Paul know their faith and love were increasing? Not because their lives were getting easier. Quite the opposite. Evidence was found in how they endured suffering. They were insulted, opposed, and persecuted for following Jesus. And yet their faith did not wither; it deepened. Their love for one another did not shrink. Instead, it grew stronger.

That’s not usually how we look for affirmation. We often expect God to show us we’re on the right path by removing obstacles, by giving us smoother roads and brighter days. But Paul points us in a different direction. God affirms and strengthens our faith not by taking trials away, but by using them to root us deeper in his promises.

When life is hard, it doesn’t mean God has abandoned you. It may be the very way he is growing you. Just as muscles are strengthened through weight training, faith is strengthened during trials. And as we lean on God’s promises together, love for one another increases, too. So, take heart: trials don’t mean your faith is failing; they may be the way that God is growing your faith in him.

Lord Jesus, when trials come, help me not to doubt your love but to lean on your promises. Use hardships to deepen my trust in you and to grow my love for others. Strengthen me to endure with perseverance and hope. Amen

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.