Can you imagine what it was like for these communities to receive these letters from Paul? They were hungry for guidance, and they clearly had conflict, both within their own community and between the community and the outside world. They were enmeshed in something new, something uncertain, and trying to determine the most faithful steps for what came next.
It's a very different world in which we live. It certainly doesn't feel new -- Christianity feels comfortable in so many ways, like an old jacket that we've had for years and we know how it fits. I think the challenge is how do we rest in that, letting God surround us with care developed over the years, and also challenge us to see how God's mercies are new every morning, how the Holy Spirit is calling us to take another step in our growth in a life of faith. We all have a next step, no matter if we've been a Christian for two weeks or two decades.
May we listen to what God has in store for us, and in the meantime, may we live quietly, walking properly before outsiders, demonstrating a life centered on Christ, free from anxiety, resting in the grace and power and provision of God.
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