Effective ministry demands the use of words to exhort people with regard to their life and walk. One of the temptations Paul faced in Thessalonica was that of flattering his hearers. In addition to flattery being a common practice amongst the travelling teachers of his day, it is always easier to make people feel good about themselves than to confront them with the need for change. Yet Paul resisted this temptation; he exhorted, comforted, and urged the new believers to walk in a manner worthy of God. These three activities are all ways of using words to motivate people to live a godly life.
11 For you know how, like a father with his children,