1 Thessalonians 3:12—“And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you.”
Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonian believers was not merely that they would endure persecution, but that they would continue to grow in Christian love. Their love was already evident (1 Thessalonians 1:3; 3:6), yet Paul prayed that the Lord would make them “increase and abound” in it. Genuine Christian love must never remain static.
The source of such love is the Lord Himself. Paul does not simply command them to love more; he prays, “the Lord make you”. This reminds us that true Christian love is the fruit of divine grace. God works in His people, enlarging their hearts and enabling them to love according to His will.
This love must first be shown “one toward another”. Believers are bound together as members of Christ’s body and must therefore care for, forgive, encourage, and serve one another. Yet Christian love must not stop within the church. Paul adds, “and toward all men”. Even those who oppose, misunderstand, or mistreat us are not beyond the reach of Christian compassion. Our Lord commands us to love even our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us.
Paul himself provided the example: “even as we do toward you”. His ministry was marked by tender, sacrificial concern for their spiritual welfare.
We should therefore ask whether our love is growing. Are we becoming more patient, forgiving, generous, and compassionate? Let us pray that the Lord will enlarge our hearts, so that our love toward believers and toward all men may increasingly reflect the gracious love of Christ.
