1 Thessalonians 3:5-13

“And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you.” vs. 12

Black Friday is not a religious or a national holiday, yet most people, at least those not in retail businesses, have it off. We’ve got another day to spend with family members or have one of the best leftover meals ever. We might even spend part of today checking for internet bargains as we start working on our Christmas shopping lists. Now there’s nothing wrong with this. Prudent folks are always looking for bargains, and it gives joy to find a good buy. But an even better use of the day might be to meditate a bit on Paul’s wish for the Thessalonians. He’s writing to them after a long absence and giving thanks for their continued faithfulness to the gospel. He tells them that his strongest desire is that the Lord would make them increase and abound in love, not only for each other, but for all. We can disagree with a lot of things in Paul’s writings, but there’s no doubt that his teachings were steeped in love. He hadn’t met Jesus face to face, and never heard him speak, but by the power of the Spirit he knew that Jesus was all about love. And if any of us have any desire at all to walk in the way of Jesus, the very first step is to love God and neighbor. It’s a way to even make Black Friday holy!

Thought for the Day: What’s on my Black Friday shopping list?