Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.
For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
1 Thessalonians 2:7-8, 11-12 NIV
http://bible.com/111/1th.2.7-12.NIV
It is interesting how Paul describes his relationship to the believers as child, mother and father. Each of them also has descriptions which are useful, especially to parents. The one that stands out to me as a father is the three things he describes a father doing for the children: 1) encouraging, 2) comforting and 3) urging you to live lives worthy of God. It is a good measuring stick and gives me a good list to work on as a father.
Right there on Verse 3 "face opposition" had to stop reading to check on my own heart. Sometimes the people or the environment around prevents us from our goal of reaching the lost or getting closer to God. Other times I create the opposition to God's call with what is not profitable for His kingdom, not necessarily sinful things but stuffs that keep us busy. God I pray you remove from my heart what is not pleasant to you.
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