Lame Duck Faith

In the light of a political climate like ours, there is a phrase that becomes increasingly popular and relevant. I haven't done any research on the term "lame duck" and where it comes from or how long it has been around, but it most often used in describing a politician who is on their last term and because of term limits they can not run again for the same office. It refers to the tendency of this individual who, in seeing the final days nearing, begins to give up the passion that once put them in office. I think many of us do this even on smaller scales when we see the end coming in a job or school change. It is easy to do really. The thought is, "What's the point? We are leaving soon anyway. No one is listening."

I began reading Paul's letters to the church in Thessalonica recently, and I noted one theme in chapter one of the first letter that followers of Christ of today would do well to implement. "We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." (vs. 3) As I unpacked this verse, the rest of the chapter developed what I was seeing. Any time I see a list in scripture, it makes me stop. Paul commends the church on three things: their work produced by faith, their labor prompted by love, and their endurance inspired by hope.

The work produced by their faith refers to the repentance that resulted. They were not just saying that they believed in Jesus, but they were turning form the idol worship they were so heavily entrenched in their old lives. True faith, as James discusses in his letter, produces good works and repentance.

Then Paul talks about their labor of love. At first, I thought he was just repeating himself, but I don't think so, because he uses two different Greek words here and this one refers more to a work done with intensity and sorrow. This church, as we see described later in the letters, is experiencing persecution. They were buckling down when it was getting hard, and possibly getting toward their end, and their love for Christ was the motivating force. Paul himself describes this in his 2nd letter to the Corinthians when he said that Christ's love compelled them.

Finally, he mentions steadfastness or endurance that results from having a source of true hope. This is no milk-toast hope. It is rooted in a deep-hearted trust in a returning Savior King based on the powerful work that has already been done in their midst. They were facing persecution, and folks they knew were being killed for their faith in Christ, and yet Paul commended them for not giving up and finishing the race.

In these final days, we are living in what my friend refers in his blog as shadow days. We cannot become lame ducks in our faith. We must buckle down, turn our heads toward the wind and keep marching. As long as we remain, God is not done with us. Unfortunately, many in the church today have given up. Their mindset is the same as a lame duck politician. "What's the point? We are leaving soon anyway. No one is listening." We must press on. We must encourage one another. We must not grow weary. For He is faithful, and we will be united with Him soon.

Does our faith produce real life change? Does our love for Christ compels us to do good deeds? Does our hope in Christ keep us moving forward? Or have we become lame duck in our faith? I hope you are challenged as much as I have been.