The education sorority to which I belong has an annual "auction" among the members. We do this to raise money for the scholarship we give each spring to a graduating senior who will be majoring in education. The event is always lots of fun. We bring all sorts of things to auction. For the second year in a row, one of the members has asked her precious mother to make a gargantuan banana pudding. It always raises a lot of "dough", lol! This year, I bought it - - - must have weighed nearly 10 pounds - - - and took it up to the church staff on a Wednesday morning, for them to enjoy.
The reason I'm nattering on about this is because it shows one way you can bless those who have been given the calling of spiritual leadership over you. Today's passage admonishes us about that, within a larger context of getting along with each other in the church. 1 Thessalonians 5:12-15 - - -
12-13 And now, friends, we ask you to honor those leaders who work so hard for you, who have been given the responsibility of urging and guiding you along in your obedience. Overwhelm them with appreciation and love!
13-15 Get along among yourselves, each of you doing your part. Our counsel is that you warn the freeloaders to get a move on. Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs. And be careful that when you get on each other’s nerves you don’t snap at each other. Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out.
The Message version
Verse 12 instructs us to overwhelm our leaders in the faith with appreciation and love. Why? Because our tendency is to do the opposite! In general, human beings want to "kill the messenger" when they don't like the message. "I don't like to attend a church where the preacher steps on my toes" is a statement I've heard from some; and, off they go, to the church down the road. (Never mind that admonishing his flock is part of the pastor's God-given role....) Or, we take the opposite approach, which is to put our church leaders up on some kind of pedestal and to hold unrealistic expectations for them. Both of these extremes are wrong.
My Daddy was the best daddy ever, although he was in no way a perfect man. One thing he was really good at, though, was at loving his children and teaching them. I remember him telling me on more than one occasion - - - "Don't criticize or tear down the man God has appointed to lead your congregation. He was placed there by God. Let God lead him." I have found that to be good advice over the years. There have been times I have been had my toes stepped on; I needed them stepped on! Then, there have been times my feelings have been hurt, or I've disagreed with a particular initiative. Paul addresses this too, when he says, "Get along among yourselves!"
There are times in the church, just like in a family, when we will "get on each other's nerves". Paul knew that tearing down the church leaders was symptomatic of, or led to, even greater murmuring, backbiting, gossiping, and so forth. We are warned to not take part in that. When we in the church behave improperly like this, it gives the unsaved an excuse to criticize our Lord. Did you catch that? Not to criticize us, but instead to criticize, demean and ultimately reject our Lord!
Furthermore, if we will let Him, God will use our brothers and sisters to "grind off our spiritual burrs". Proverbs 27:17 says - - - "As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend." Or, in the Message version - - - "You use steel to sharpen steel; and one friend sharpens another." You will notice that marshmallows don't sharpen steel. Cotton does not sharpen steel. No, to sharpen steel, it takes steel! If we rebuff others when they are being used by God to sharpen, shape and mold us more into the image of Christ, we are shortchanging ourselves. And, if we run from that sharpening to attend the church up the road, well, we are just taking our own spiritual burrs with us.
What are we to do instead? We are to exhort one another, according to each's individual need. Some may not be exercising their spiritual gifts appropriately. For those, we need to encourage them to get involved! The same goes for the stragglers - - - those who have wandered off or fallen by the wayside. We are to go to them with spiritual re-direction, to help them get back "on course". Then, there are the exhausted - - - those who have worn themselves out for the sake of the gospel. We are to bind up their wounds, help them replenish their energy stores and then pull them back into the work. At times, all of us in the faith will fall into one of those errant categories. Thank God He has given us each other - - - so that we can, by His Spirit, bring out the best in each other!
Dear Jesus, I know and I thank you that I have not "spiritually arrived". I need your Word, Your Spirit speaking to me (at times through others) to sharpen me. Please forgive me when I have gotten on others' nerves in the Body. I'm sure it happens much, much more than I know! I just pray that you will use me to do what you have called me to, in the Church and in the world. Thank you so very much for those who have spiritual leadership over me - - - my husband, my church leaders. I am so grateful that you have called them to their respective roles. Please strengthen them and encourage them in what you have called them to do. Please put a hedge of protection around them, so that the enemy cannot shipwreck their ministries or their families. Work in their lives to make them more like you as well, Lord Jesus. It is in your holy name I pray, amen.
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