³We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater; ⁴therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure.

Indebtedness is how Paul feels when he thinks of the Thessalonians. To put it in today’s vernacular, he feels that he owes God big time. For Paul, thanksgiving, of course, was deeply rooted in the grace of God for saving him, the “foremost” of all sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). But, like Peter, he continued to grow in grace. Here the word “ought” carries the sense of obligation to someone for what that someone has done. Paul feels a debt of gratitude to God. Why? Because of the faith of the Thessalonian believers, which continues to grow, and their love for one another, which continues to increase.

Paul is not speaking of a sentimental feeling; rather, this debt of gratitude spurs him on to continue his life of sacrifice for the gospel. He does not stop at being thankful for people’s salvation but continues to rejoice as he sees them grow and mature in their Christlikeness. Indeed, he understood that the Great Commission of Matthew 20:18–20 was not only to preach the gospel—and this is an enormous distinction—but to make disciples! The job is not finished when people are saved. For Paul to think of the Thessalonians and see them growing as disciples of Christ—it just does not get any better!

Therefore, he can say that his magnanimous, overflowing, superlative description of them—his extreme gratitude to God for them and his proud boasting of them—is “fitting.” The Greek word “axion” means to have “a relatively high degree of comparable worth or value” (BDAG). The Thessalonians are worthy of the description Paul gives of them and the feelings he has toward them.

Paul does not see the Thessalonians as a monument of his ministry among them, as though they should be indebted to him and give him praise. Absolutely not! He is the one indebted to the Lord God, who is the cause of their spiritual growth (1 Cor. 3:7). He doesn’t say, “I thank you Thessalonians for doing a good job with the teaching I gave you.” Paul was overwhelmed that he was a tool in the hand of the Lord and had the privilege of seeing the fruit of the ministry God had given him. His full focus of praise was toward the Lord.

Following Paul’s example, it is fitting and appropriate for us to be proud of the work God is doing in other Christians as we see their spiritual growth. And we should not hold back letting them know that we thank God for them.

Lord, I want to live my life so that others would be proud of Your work in me.