1 Thessalonians 1:8 - Impressions

Earlier this winter, I would go for solitary walks on a snow-covered field. I never saw anyone with a snowmobile, yet the snow was crisscrossed with their tracks. When the snow started to melt, so did the snowmobile tracks.

Yet the snowmobiles were heavy enough to press down and leave tracks on the brown grass, buried several inches beneath the snow. First impressions, passing impressions... can sometimes leave lasting impressions.

Almost 2,000 years ago, there was a church in Thessalonica, Greece known for their faith. In fact, it was said of them,
"the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Macedonia and Achaia, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. We don’t [even] need to tell them about it..." (1 Thessalonians 1:8, New Living Translation)

If I say, "happy person," I bet there's an image of someone who impressed you as being happy. Conversely, if I say "grouchy person," it's difficult not to recall a specific grouch. The Christians in Thessalonica left an impression as "people who trust God." It was such a strong impression that it influenced people that had never met them. Millenia later, they still have a lasting influence on us.

Father God, Thank you for the people who've made a positive impression on my life. Some were just a momentary encounters; some were anonymous. But they encouraged me to love you more deeply. May my life also leave impressions--tracks--that lead people to You. In Jesus' name, Amen.