Through darker times in our lives...
Through darker times in our lives, the faiths of others can become invaluable. Can you think of a time that someone else's love of God gave you hope through a difficult time? Remember that throughout his ministry Paul was opposed, beaten, imprisoned, continuously under threat of death. You can imagine him occasionally wondering, "Is this all really worth it? What am I really doing here?" How much more did the faith of the Thessalonians mean to Paul then? When Paul thanked them, we can imagine he meant it since they bore the fruit he and all others making sacrifices for the gospel long to see.
