"Increase More and More"

I'm taking my last college religion class this semester. I hate hate hate online classes, but take a look at my schedule for this semester.

I couldn't mess with a schedule like that. It's too perfect.

Anyway, the class covers the New Testament from Acts through Revelations. Part of my assignments for each week allows me to blog about our readings. (This was actually due Saturday, but I'll do better in future weeks.)

Scattered throughout both of his epistles to the Thessalonians, Paul gave members of the early church a list of attributes for them to improve on. These are the ones I found.

• Increase in love toward each other and their community. He noted that they already great at it, but they could increase more and more. (1 Thess. 3:12, 4:9-10)
• Sexual purity (1 Thess. 4:3-5)
• Self-sufficiency and hard work(1 Thess. 4:11)
• Service to the needy (1 Thess. 4:12)
• Sobriety as an attitude (1 Thess 5:8)
• Patience (1 Thess 5:14)
• Avoiding negative influences (2 Thess. 5:6)

I could definitely improve in some of these, and my assignment requires that I discuss that a bit.

• I could certainly be more patient, with myself and with those I'm close to. I'm also terrified to pray for patience because maybe then I'd be given something to really be patient about. Sometimes, though, I think I already have the tools I need to be patient, I just forget to use them. Maybe I could ask for help remembering what they are instead. 
• There are 74 days left until graduation. I have worked so hard and I am too close to the end to give up now. You'd be surprised how fleeting a motivator that is. I need help going full steam ahead, but I also know some habits I could develop to continue to work hard and keep as I start my first post-grad "real world" job.
• Pretty much everything is lacking somehow while in college. I can do better noticing and filling some of the needs of those around me: a ride to the store, a hug, helping a study session I might not need to have, etc.