What does 2 Thessalonians 3:5 mean?

Paul prays for the Lord to direct his readers' hearts into God's love and into the steadfastness of Christ. The Greek word translated as "direct" here is kateuthynai. This means to "clear away obstacles, or to guide." Paul is asking the Lord to move aside barriers that threatened to impede his readers' spiritual progress. An ever-increasing thankfulness for God's love would keep them on track spiritually. It is impossible to love the worldly, unspiritual things of this life and truly appreciate God's love at the same time (1 John 2:15).

Paul also asks God in this verse to direct his readers into the steadfastness of Christ, They faced many trials and persecution, but Christ was their example of facing trials and persecution with patient endurance. The writer to the Hebrews cited Jesus as the prime example of such patient endurance. He wrote in Hebrews 12:1–2: "Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross."