As a child, one of my favorite games, while walking with my father, was trying to get in step with him. It was great fun as he taught us some silly marching songs. He illustrated how to stutter step in order to come into step with the leader. As his legs were so much longer, we were always having to catch up and get back into step. Up until his illness whereby Jesus led my Father on the march home, he could still out-march all of his boys!  He was such a strong man that inspired me to get into step.

Christ is the author and finisher of our faith.  He is the inspiration.  He calls his followers to get into step.  The sacrifice of Christ is huge. Coming into step with him may seem unreachable, but he illustrated exactly how.  Are we willing to take the ultimate stutter step?

The idea that the Christian life is a cake walk is absurd. It was never meant to be. The old song, "I never promised You a rose garden" comes to mind. Jesus calls us to the cross and promises to never leave us. It is normal, as ambassadors of heaven, that we face the same push back as our Lord. In no way does means that we should seek conflict, but we must never be surprised or weakened by it. We should expect it.

Paul sent Timothy to "establish" and to "comfort" the Christians in Thessalonica. (I Thess 3). They were under attack for their faith. It is like being surrounded by waves that drive everything with them. In time, they will erode the coasts, if they are not shored up. In the same way, we as Christians need to be strengthened. Paul waited as long as he could seeing the young in faith in such straights. Timothy was to steady them like an immune system utilizing the rock of faith.

They were exactly where God wanted them to be.  They were standing against the crowds of denial that push and shove in the attempt to cause collapse. The Greek word behind "establish" is στηρίζω (stay-rid'-zo). You can get the gist from the first syllable, "stay". The command, "be still and know that I am God" fits the context.

Stay-rid'-zo is a presumed derivative of ἵστημι (his'-tay-mee). Again, you see stay. It kind of looks like the word we use for an immunological response (histamine). It carries the ideas, among others, "to present, set (up), stanch, stand (by, forth, still, up)". It sounds a bit like a fight and it truly is a spiritual battle. 

Comfort in Christ is the well of strength enabling the Christian to stand forth. It is a forward action that the gates of hell cannot withstand. Again, this is sacrificial, as we are confronting spiritual bulwarks and people take it personally. They push back because sin has deep roots and repentance is not only the admission of sin, but it is a dying to self in order to be released from its prison like grasp.

As Christ died to self, we must show others the same. Our repentive life, in bearing the crossing in humility, illustrates our faith. This illustration calls the lost out of the prison of sin to the freedom of Christ. It also reveals the method. Let us take up the cross to come into step with Christ.

1. http://www.myetymology.com/english/steroid.html