There Is an attitude exhibited In the Thessalonians that deserves our attention. It was the attitude of "we can do better." That Is not necessarily a totally negative criticism. However, each of us would admit, if we were honest, that many times we do less than our best at things. There Is hardly a chore or project that I finish that I do not have to tell myself "Dave, you could have done better than that." That does not mean that I did not do well or that what I accomplished was useless. It simply means that there Is always room for Improvement.
It Is usually possible for us to do better In our work and service for the Lord. I am not suggesting by this that what we are currently doing Is meaningless or even wrong. I think that In many ways we are doing good work for the Lord and that God is pleased. But we must never allow ourselves to be satisfied, for that leads to stagnation. We should be continually Improving and growing In our work. The Thessalonians had already demonstrated their love, but Paul exhorted them to do so even more. He said "for Indeed you do practice It toward all the brethren who are In all to excel still more" (I Thess. 4:10). "Excel still more." That's the attitude we must all have when It comes to serving the Lord.
In Our Worship
Our worship together Is highlight of our week In many ways. We begin) our week by coming together and concentrating on the things that are most Important. It sets the tone for the rest of the week. It Is important, therefore, that we do our best when we gather on the Lord's day. Again, this Is not a criticism of what we are currently doing. It Is an exhortation to do it even better. How? We could put more into our singing. Our singing is already good, but I just know that each of us could easily put more enthusiasm and power Into it. After all, we are shouting our praises and thanksgivings to the God who has saved us! We could "blow the roof off" our building if we tried. I do not think that our singing Is dead - it is a long way from that. But I think we could "excel still more."
We could also apply this to the prayers we pray together. I hesitate to say anything critical about someone's prayer, for that comes close to making a Judgment about that person's sincerity and I am not In a position to see Into their heart or mind to make that judgment. However, I know that it Is easy to say the same things In our prayers rather than simply letting our thoughts and words flow freely to God.
Teachers - do you do your best to prepare for the class you teach? Are you concerned that your students really learn something? As a teacher I am constantly looking for ways to improve. Communicating God's truth Is Important and deserves our best efforts. Make every class you teach a learning experience for yourself as well as for your students. Think about how you can do It better the next time you teach that class. And what about the students? Do we make sure that every person In our family Is prepared when they go to Bible class? Do we make sure our children have studied their lessons? Have we looked over the material and done any assignments the teacher gave us? I think that most are doing well In these things, but we should also "excel still more."
In Our Love For Each Other
"And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more" (Phil 1:9). No matter how well we love each other, we can always do more. There Is no such thing as too much brotherly love. Brotherly love can manifest Itself In hundreds of ways. Write a card or letter or make a phone call to someone who Is facing difficulty or who Is showing signs of weakness. Visit the sick and let them know you are concerned about their situation. Prepare food for a brother or sister Who needs It - maybe for someone who has a sick family member. Acknowledge when someone has done well at something or when their efforts edified and uplifted you. Give a loving rebuke when someone errs. Invite someone Into your home and show them your hospitality. Lend a hand on some difficult task. The list goes on and on.
I think we all know the many ways we can express our love for each other, and I have seen many such expressions of love among us. Like Paul, however, I pray that our love will abound still more and more. There are many times that we could easily do some small thing to express our love but we do not.
In Spreading the Gospel
Many times, our greatest need for Improvement lies in the work we do in spreading the gospel. If we had to be really honest about it, we might have to admit that often we do very little In this regard. Which one of us could say that we are doing our best to let our light shine, to look for those who will hear God's truth, or to say an appropriate word to encourage an unbeliever to turn to the Lord? Which one of us could not be more courageous to speak and stand up for righteousness In situations where wickedness Is being practiced or promoted? Which of us has done all we could to bring the gospel to the lost? Classically, In many local congregations, the amount of Involvement In evangelism is small. But spreading the gospel Is not difficult work at all. How difficult is It to help pass out flyers for a gospel meeting? How difficult Is it to lean over your back fence and Invite your neighbor to come to the worship services with you?
I have suggested a few ways we may apply the "we can do better" attitude, but these are not the only ways. This attitude should cover everything we do. God gives His best to those who give their best to Him.