As this may well be the last post for the year and while everyone is reflecting on the year that is past, here are some thoughts about what the Spiritual mindset sees as success. The first time Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica he gave thanks for the signs of God being at work amongst them. The proof that God’s word is at work among them was that they suffered as the Jerusalem churches had done and as Paul himself had also done:

1Th. 2:14 For you, brothers, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, 15 who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out.

Contrary to popular expectation, the sign of authenticity for the Thessalonians faith or even the success of Paul’s mission is that the church is persecuted! Of all the things that you would expect to indicate that God’s word was at work amongst the church, Paul points to the persecution that the Thessalonians have suffered. What is more Paul saw this as a matter of church tradition.  The Thessalonians suffered as the church in Jerusalem had and responded the same way:

Acts 5:41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.

The mindset of the Spirit understands this as a model response to the message of the Gospel. It may seem totally bizarre to get excited about persecution – surely the signs that God is at work will be the church growing bigger and stronger  with great music, big ministries, loads of happy people  gathering together – that’s what we would assume. From a cultural point of view things are successful if they work, if you are on the winning side, if what you are doing is popular. So it is worth asking the question, “How can Paul think that appearing like a loser is a sign of success?” Paul makes sense of this in v.14, the church is suffering just like Jesus did:

1 Thess.2: 14…You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, 15 who killed the Lord Jesus

When the Thessalonians suffered they were put into the same company as the Lord Jesus himself – this puts everything into a completely different perspective buts its not the kind Nike thinking that makes all losers feel happy since second place is the first loser. The Thessalonians can take heart because being persecuted means that in relation to the Jews who claimed to be the true people of God, the Thessalonians have more in common with the Lord whom the Jews worship than those who claim to worship him!

Put simply, Paul wa saying that being persecuted by the Jews shows that you are on the same side as Jesus! Consider what we read elsewhere in the Revelation:

Rev. 5:6  Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders….11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they sang:  “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise!” 13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:  “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honour and glory and power, for ever and ever!”

As a result of being persecuted for faithfulness to God’s word Jesus, the Son of God is made the ruler of the universe. Don’t be discouraged about being persecuted, it just goes to show that you are on the side of the winners. The Spiritual Mindset is able to see that persecution for the sake of being godly is a sign that you are doing the right thing.

At present conservative Christians who do not approve of homosexual behaviour are taking a hiding in the popular press – you will be aware of the conflict going on in the Anglican Communion. Closer to home, the more we engage in the mission of Jesus to bring the gospel to those who have not heard it or even when we choose to be godly in a paid work place or classroom we need not be discouraged if we face opposition but rather encouraged that we are shown to be on Jesus’ side.