Read: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Memory Verse: 1 Thessalonians 5:8
But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
One of the earliest uses of metal protection was chain mail armor. Made up of tens of thousands of interlocking rings, it was woven by hand and formed into protective shirts, coifs, and even leggings. Interwoven mail was lighter, more flexible, and offered better protection for the wearer. It took hundreds of hours of meticulous effort to create one coat of armor.
Righteousness is the interweaving of faith and love. In Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus tells us to “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
Faith is our righteousness before God. Every day we should ask ourselves is this the right thing to do; is this acceptable to Him. It is not just one big decision, but the interweaving of all of our convictions and beliefs together as we seek to do what is right in our daily lives.
Love is doing what is right in our relationship with the people around us. Romans 13:9-10 teaches us to “love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” Simply put, it is doing the right thing towards others, treating them in the right way.
Putting on the breastplate of righteousness is asking God each day to show you the right thing to do that will please Him and how you can do the right things in your marriage, family, school, work, and all other relationships.
Meditation for the Day: How can you interweave your relationship with God and your relationships with others?
Assignment: Make a list of three areas that you can work on to be right with God and right with others.
For Fun: Look up how to make chain mail