阅读经文 

我那三岁的孙女充满活力和喜乐，每一次当她跑进我们的家或是我到他们家时，她总会高声喊着说：“奶奶，‘迷你的我’！”她兴奋地大声宣告这个好消息，没有人听不到她的声音。我曾多次对她纠正，应该说她是“迷你的我”（因为她和我有很多相似之处），但她坚持说我是她的“迷你的我”。我们有相似的习惯，喜爱购物，还有我们常常都很乐观。我们也会讨论严肃的生命问题，会无缘无故傻笑，并且喜爱午睡。

保罗称赞帖撒罗尼迦教会，尽管他们的生命充满困难和痛苦，但藉着效法他和其他属灵榜样——最终是效法耶稣的榜样，他们仍然能持守坚定的信仰。他们为我们树立了怎样靠着圣灵喜乐侍奉的模范，他们学会了去支取一切能帮助他们靠圣灵生活的能量和活力。

不论我们是什么人，每一天我们不是在跟随人，就是在带领人。我们要跟随那些效法耶稣的人，或去带领那些需要跟随祂的人，这就是我们的挑战。

My three-year-old granddaughter is full of life and joy. Every time she runs into our house or I walk into theirs, she shouts, "Grandma, my 'mini me'!" She is thrilled as she shouts the good news. No one can miss it. I have often suggested that she might be my "mini me" (since she is a lot like me), but she insists that I am her "mini me." We share mannerisms and a flare for shopping, and we both tend to be optimistic. We have serious discussions about life, giggle about nothing, and enjoy afternoon naps.

Paul commends the church at Thessalonica that they have stayed strong in faith by following his example and that of other leaders—and ultimately by following Jesus, despite the hardship and suffering in their life. They have set an example of how to serve and live by the Spirit with joy. They have learned to access all the empowerment and energy they need in order to live through the Spirit.

Whoever we are, on any given day we are following someone or leading someone. Our challenge is to follow those who imitate Jesus and to lead those who need to know him.