Click Here – 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10.
Paul almost always has a section of thanks immediately following the introductory section. He doesn’t thank the people to whom he is writing; rather he thanks God for the people to whom he is writing, listing specific traits and actions that he has seen in the people of that church.
Specifically, that the gospel came to them in the power of the Holy Spirit, that they remained strong throughout the difficult times they faced, and that they were examples to the people of the surrounding regions of a faith that rejects all false gods and places full trust and hope in the one true God.
May God see that kind of faith in us: A faith that is squarely based on Jesus Christ and what He did for us, a faith that remains strong in difficult times, and a faith that is recognizable to all. Grant this to us Lord, for Jesus sake. Amen!