Balanced encouragement
At the start of a new year, I am often drawn to a place in 1 Thessalonians where Paul is called on to defend his ministry.
He says ‘You know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure’ (1Thessalonians 2.1). Presumably someone had said it was a failure and Paul had to correct that view. He goes on to give us a basis for how ministry should be done and how he had gone about it in Thessalonica.