“and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you, 13 so that He may strengthen your hearts blameless in holiness, before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.” (1Th. 3:12 LSB) https://accordance.bible/link/read/LSB#1Th._3:12

The great need of the hour is for Christians to engage with people again. Covid has created an unhealthy comfort for staying home, staying comfortable, staying self-absorbed while we do our work and play. It is not that we are ‘doing bad’ by staying home necessarily, although many are watching things they should not be. It is that we are not doing the good we need to be doing, that we are commanded by God to do and which is best for our own spiritual development. What is lacking? Love for God and love for others that is greater than ourselves. Our love for God must increase so that knowing Him and doing His will becomes our greatest desire. This will lead us to loving others more and greater than ourselves. Our churches have downsized and struggle for people to serve because we have chosen to disengage from the community of believers. This is not healthy for becoming blameless in holiness. We need the church for spurring us on to good deeds, for correcting us from our wayward paths and for joining with others to serve together so that the body of Christ is visible to the world that needs desperately our Head, Jesus the Savior. We are to serve with, and to, one another for growing in our own holiness. Likewise, we are to love all men recognizing that all men are desperate for a Savior lest they leave this life without Him and suffer then the eternal fires of hell. We are holy and blameless in God’s sight when we do God’s work which is the seeking and saving of the lost for reconciliation to Him through Christ. We must engage the unbeliever if we are going to have a relationship with the unbeliever for bringing the unbeliever to saving faith in Jesus. This is our mission that we cannot accomplish from the comfort of our living room. The will of God is for us to love people, the church and those outside the church, this love is manifest when we are in healthy, vibrant, intentional relationships with people for the purpose of knowing Jesus and becoming like Jesus in every way.