Paul had given many encouraging words in his letter to the church at Thessalonica; what challenge would he give as he closed? Chapter 5:
12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.
One word that I think summarizes everything Paul is saying here is atmosphere: contribute to an atmosphere where people come into your fellowship and notice these things: respect, calmness, unity, commitment, compassion, joy, gratitude, teachability, wisdom, and holiness. This is simplifying things a bit, but Paul is saying we each need to do our part to help create this kind of atmosphere by our personal conduct, especially towards one another. If there is one thing I left out or could not summarize, it is the shortest phrase in the Greek: pray without ceasing - This group of people is like this because they pray.
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