Day 807: Joyful churches - 1 Thessalonians 5 vs 12 - 18

12-13 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle (disorderly), encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.

15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:12-18 English Standard Version

I've been involved in Church life for over 50 years. Over that time, sadly, I’ve seen many instances of Churches where internal strife caused much hurt and lasting divisions. Sometimes it was caused by strong willed and domineering leaders. At other times it was caused by troublesome and stubborn members of the congregation. These strifes could have been avoided if congregations had applied what Paul says in today's verses. What did he urge the congregation of the Church at Thessalonica to do? (vs 12-13)

They were to respect and place great value on those who were caring for their souls! How quickly we tell others of a good doctor who has brought healing to our body. How much more grateful we should be to a shepherd of the sheep who has been faithful in dealing with our souls, even to the point of admonishing us when they saw we were in spiritual danger. Not only that, he calls them to 'be at peace' among themselves. They were not to splinter off into little cliques and spend their time criticizing others. What about those in leadership? (vs 14)

They were to take their difficult role seriously. Difficult because there would be people in the congregation who caused frictions and problems. Such people needed to be admonished. That's not easy – people don't like to be shown that what they are doing is wrong in God's sight. But the leaders were also called to come alongside and help those who were struggling in the faith. That can also be a time consuming and, sometimes, a thankless task. The essential quality of a good shepherd was that they should be patient with the flock. That requires gentleness and a willingness to be a servant rather than a master. They certainly are not called to be domineering, harsh, or self seeking. Even Paul used the word ‘ask’ in vs 12.

What was the guiding factor Paul recommended for both congregation and leaders? (vs 15)

Churches are meant to be made up of people who are willing to overlook personal hurts, and who seek to show kindness even to those who’ve wronged them. If everyone in the congregation kept the Lord Jesus Christ as the example for their behaviour, divisions and schisms would be far less likely. Yes I know this is not easy. We may have been badly let down or hurt by a fellow believer. But think how steady Christ's love is for us, despite how weak our love is for Him. Do we not ask Him daily for forgiveness for where we fell short? Should we not then be merciful and patient with others too?

In vs 16-18 Paul reminds them what God's will for their lives was. God wants those who love Jesus to be people who rejoice continually in what the Saviour has done for them. We are not be gloomy people who only see life's burdens. Things like poor health, loneliness, and struggling to make ends meet are heavy loads to carry. But we are called to focus our thoughts more on Jesus, that our joy in Him be seen by others.

The key to that sort of joy being real, not just something we put on, is to make more time, not less time, for prayer. Trying situations can make us 'not feel like’ praying. But prayer is a time of close fellowship with the Lord. It’s where we can express our needs to the one who has great empathy for us. But notice, it’s also the place where we should express genuine thanks for His ongoing love - even if we are going through the darkest valley of our life. If congregations were to make today's verses their pattern and their goal, Churches would be a place of joy and encouragement. But it takes obedience to Christ, and patience, and prayer.