Living • I Thessalonians 5:12-24
By Cyndi Grace
As we come to the final chapter of I Thessalonians, we find the Apostle Paul giving instructions on how to maintain the love and growth of the church. Sometimes we might think the early churches didn’t have the problems we have today, but nothing could be farther from the truth.
Humans have not changed. Every generation therefore finds itself facing difficulties in getting along. Aren’t you glad we’re given some idea of how to handle that?
Paul starts by encouraging the congregants to give love and recognition to those who lead them. For those given the responsibility to shepherd a congregation, it is not always an easy job. Some members too often criticize rather than encourage a pastor or other leader without really knowing the whole situation.
This causes confusion and division for everyone. The result of encouragement, however, is peace within the body. Paul himself had dealt with criticism and understood the calls of support for the tasks he was given. Honestly ask yourself if you are a critical or encouraging voice. Hopefully, you are one who encourages the whole body.
Paul then begins to list some specific issues that needed to be addressed. Even the very best congregations have things upon which to improve:
— Warn those who are idle. This word, “idle,” is also translated as undisciplined or disruptive. To be a part of the church means to be growing and assisting in the activities. Perhaps there were some “pew sitters” who grumbled and complained but did nothing for this church.
Remember, God did not save us to sit but to serve. I pray this admonishment does not apply to any of us.
— Comfort the discouraged. No matter how much we love the Lord and want to serve Him, there are times we might feel we’re hitting our heads against a stone wall. We want to give up. Paul encourages us to lift others up when those times happen.
Remember the verse that points out a three-strand cord is not easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12). Be intentional in your encouragement to others. It means more than you will ever know.
— Help the weak and be patient with everyone. Sometimes those who are more spiritually mature expect others to react to situations as they do, but all of us are at different places in our spiritual journey. Some are new to the faith while others are farther along, but we are to help teach each other and guide the weaker in faith.
Our criticism will only serve to damage another’s walk. Being patient is among the fruits of the Spirit, and some of us need to exercise this particular fruit more often.
— See to it that no one repays evil for evil. The phrase, “see to it,” carries a command for action. Within any body of believers, there will be conflict at some time but to react with anger — or to stay silent when someone is being treated unfairly — is to condone those evil actions.
We must learn to follow the standard of conflict resolution that Jesus taught in Matthew 18:15-16: “If your brother sins against you, go tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he won’t listen, take one or two others with you, so that by the testimony of two or three witnesses every fact may be established” (CSB).
Being a hothead in church is never God’s way.
— Pursue what is good for ALL. This should be a no-brainer! We are to pursue good for the whole body, but often it becomes a “what I-personally-want-to-happen” situation. We live in an all-about-me society but it should not be that way in our congregations. The only way we can accomplish this is to continually seek God’s will in every situation.
Are you power hungry? Pray and ask God to show you His will and way.
Paul ends this letter with words similar to those in Philippians: “Rejoice always, pray constantly, and give thanks for everything.” It is not always easy to rejoice but if our hearts are bent toward fulfilling God’s will, rejoicing will be important as will communicating with the Father and add to that, being thankful no matter what.
Last week we talked about being Children of the Light. Those attributes — joy, prayer, and thankfulness — are imperatives for us to fulfill that role in the world today. When we do, the world will be drawn to Him. Amen?
Grace is a member at First Church, Jackson, and is a conference speaker and Bible teacher.
