Sharing Your Soul
The gospel advances not through comfort, but through conviction...
When Paul arrived in Thessalonica, he came battered, bruised, and unshaken. He had just been beaten and imprisoned in Philippi for preaching the gospel (Acts 16). Most men would have called it quits, but Paul pressed on. He trusted God and kept proclaiming Christ, even “in the midst of much conflict” (1 Thessalonians 2:2). His courage and perseverance remind us that the gospel advances not through comfort, but through conviction.
In 1 Thessalonians 2, Paul defends his ministry against critics who accused him of greed, flattery, and self-promotion. Six times he reminds the church, “You know,” “You remember,” “You are witnesses.” They had seen his life up close. They knew his motives were pure. He wasn’t chasing fame or fortune. He simply wanted people to know Jesus.
Sharing Your Life
Paul’s words in verse 8 capture the heart of his ministry: “We were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.” Real ministry is sharing not only the message, but your life. Not just doctrine, but compassion. Not just sermons, but souls.
Paul risked his comfort to share the gospel (v. 2). He refused deceit and manipulation (v. 3). He sought to please God, not men (v. 4). He avoided flattery and greed (v. 5). He opened his heart with affection (v. 7–8). He lived above reproach (v. 10) and encouraged believers like a loving father (v. 11–12). His integrity and tenderness made the gospel believable.
What a model for us! God is calling His people today to the same kind of life: one that risks sharing the soul. That means investing in people beyond the church building. Ninety minutes on Sunday isn’t enough to truly know or be known. Genuine fellowship happens in homes, over meals, in tears and laughter, in times of celebration and loss.
Do Other Christians Know the Real You?
If all others see of you is your Sunday face, they don’t really know you. True fellowship requires vulnerability. It means letting others see your struggles so they can pray with you, encourage you, and strengthen you. And it means doing the same for them.
You might think, “I’m not a leader. I don’t have much to give.” But Scripture says otherwise. You have Christ (Romans 8:10). You have His Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). You have His Word (1 Corinthians 2:13). You have gifts and talents to share (1 Peter 4:10). God created you to be a spring of living water (John 4:14; 7:38). A spring stays healthy only when it flows outward. When we give what we’ve received, we stay clear, vibrant, and life-giving.
Paul’s example—and the old hymn “There Is a Sea”—reminds us of an important truth: the sea that gives stays alive; the one that keeps everything for itself becomes dead. So, what will your legacy be? When tomorrow begins without you, what will matter is not what you bought, but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave. You have received God’s good gifts; now share them. Share your heart, your time, your faith, and your soul.
