Urgent

"We urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone." 1Thessalonians 5:14

I have always loved short, instructive passages of Scripture that give lists of things to do. I think it is helpful to have a checklist sometimes when trying to address the needs in the Body of Christ. This is not just passing advice, hence the 'urging' of the brothers to follow through on the directives. These are serious matters even if they come across as 'bullet points' in a seminar on how to deal with people. There are four instructions on the list and each one is equally important. All of us could benefit from considering either applying or sharing these action items from the Early Church. Let's look at them one by one.

#1 Warn those who are idle. Laziness is a chosen behavior. You may be tired, you may be sleepy, you may need a break, but the lazy only use these reasons to excuse their choice to just not do anything. Often the idle or those stuck in neutral, or those who make a practice of never moving forward, have it just the way they like it. So, what is the warning? In the early days, because of the sandbaggers, moochers and unwilling to work folks that attached themselves to the 1st Century Church, they basically made a rule... 'If you don't work, you don't eat!' I can only imagine how long they put up with the sad stories and situations that were cyclical, before they had to stop taking the food out of the mouths of the children, widows, sick and truly disabled, just to accommodate the lazy. Don't get me wrong, sometimes people have a legitimate short-term or emergency need and the Church can really help. We can all get behind the eight ball financially, so to speak, and have a hard time making ends meet. But, if people have an idleness issue, after helping once or twice, we need to figure out why people can't put it into gear and move forward. This of course is how entitlement gets started and codependency begins. We must be good stewards of God's resources, effectively dispersing to those who are helped not only for the moment, but helped to move forward in the quest to be personally responsible and independent. I have to always remember to keep a soft heart, without having a soft head.

#2 Encourage the timid. Timidity is a temporary condition. Nobody is eternally stuck in shyness or inability to express their faith. Each believer must be encouraged to break out of their shell. Whether their shell is a self esteem issue, or training need or opportunity lack.... whatever the limitation that thwarts the new believer from being more outward about their faith, we must help them to break through. Nobody should live a lifetime without being able to share their testimony, or get involved, or serve or take part in the wonderful things that God has for all of us to do. Timidity cannot be an excuse for not living a bold Christian life. We are all called to be witnesses and servants of Christ. He has promised to give us the words, to make our hands strong for the task at hand, and to prepare us for whatever He calls us to do. Self-imposed limitations are unacceptable; understandable, but not to be tolerated as a permanent condition. We are more than conquerors through Christ. Be encouraged, everybody has something special to do for Him.

#3 Help the weak. Weakness happens to everybody, even the strong. There are times that even the most confident believer feels weak and incapable in a moment or even a season. We all need help from time to time, don't we? I know I do. Sometimes just having someone come alongside us and give us a hand can help us gain strength. We could do so much in this way for each other. We may be weak because we are overwhelmed with our kids, or can't follow through on a commitment, or are sick or emotionally distraught one day. When we see each other needing a helping hand; we have got to be responsive, and mutualistic, and be there for one another. I watch people do projects around Grace Harbor by themselves for two reasons. They either don't want or like help, because they are martyrs or control freaks... or... people just let them do it by themselves without offering to help. I'll admit, sometimes it is almost easier to do it alone, but we all need to be able to help each other. My least favorite thing is to be working at an obvious physical labor type project and have people come and talk to me while I work, without lifting a hand. Very frustrating. To lean on the counter and chat with someone who is cleaning the church kitchen while they work alone is no help. No wonder we feel weak, we either can't get or won't accept help. :(

#4 Be patient with everyone. After suggesting, warning, encouraging and helping, it only follows that patience is going to be a necessary component of making that happen. To impatiently warn without giving steps, and timelines, and clear expectations, is a nagging waste of time. If we are not patient about our warnings it all sounds like 'blah blah blah' to the idle who are looking for any excuse to just keep cruising along as slowly as possible. Patience and progress are related. To impatiently encourage, thinking that just a few kind words will change someone's self-perception, is delusional. People didn't clam up or shut down overnight and they won't open up overnight either. Patience is the key, still setting goals and letting someone bloom without ripping them open. Helping also has a patience component to it. If you are not patient while you are trying to help you can just take over and that is no real help. Make sure your helping actually helps. See..... the Word of God has some practical advice. In the Early Church they had just as many little 'issues' as today's churches. As my mother said, people are people. Be patient with everyone, especially the person you are thinking of right now. :0)

So today we learn about ourselves and others always remembering that everybody else is going through something too. Don't get mowed over and don't blow anybody away trying to follow the counsel of His Word. Point people to Jesus, patiently urging them to not be idle or timid, to seek and accept help. I think if we consider each day that we all are on both the giving and receiving end of these directives that we can move forward with the right attitudes and be the Church, like the church should be.

In His Service and for His Glory,
Pastor Fred

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