1 Thessalonians 5:13-28
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.
Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.
Don’t suppress the Spirit, and don’t stifle those who have a word from the Master. On the other hand, don’t be gullible. Check out everything, and keep only what’s good. Throw out anything tainted with evil.
May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it!
Friends, keep up your prayers for us. Greet all the followers of Jesus there with a holy embrace. And make sure this letter gets read to all the brothers and sisters. Don’t leave anyone out.
The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you!
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
A new “group” has been started on Facebook for people in my “neck of the woods” who wish to share photos and information about the history of this area. It’s been a lot of fun to look at old pictures and reminisce…to see the ancestors of others – and to discover in some instances that we are connected “down the line” in some manner. And as with all things of this sort, there have been some mislabeled photos…some “data” that was not quite accurate…and more than one case of mistaken identity.
This page has sparked some new “friendships”, and for the most part it has been cordial. On a similar site, someone asked the simple question, “Which of you are truly ‘from’ our city?” This caused a firestorm of hurt feelings among people who were not truly “native”…but felt a deep connection to this community, nonetheless. This was unfortunate and something that we must try to avoid. Furthermore, these pages have somewhat rekindled my decades-long interest in family history.
I mentioned to my mom that I was considering spending the “big bucks” to rejoin a well-known genealogy website and get serious about this. She asked, “Isn’t much of the info on that site dependent on the input of others?” And she is right! So for now, I am going to glean what I can from friends and family members via Facebook and other avenues…ask questions…be cordial, and share my own info in the spirit of “good will”…and do my best to operate in accuracies, joy and encouragement of others. At least we are all talking about something positive on Facebook, for a change…which is incredibly refreshing!
What does this have to do with the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians? This “group” on Facebook is a microcosm of the world at large. I do not know every person who is participating. I do not recognize all of the family names presented…and many of the photographs are portraits of people I’ve never heard of or seen. But they are important to someone…namely, the person who posted the photo!
Everything I say - and everything I post on this page – represents who I am as a person – and a Christian. I must do all I can to get along with others…to make my comments positive, polite and pleasant – even when questioning someone’s sources or the accuracy of his/her data. I must respond to others’ questions and posts with kindness and respect. I must remind myself that each interaction is an opportunity to witness to others…to represent God and demonstrate my love for Jesus Christ. And I must courteously and gently ask questions to ensure that we all exchange accurate information – for ourselves and for future generations.
In our daily living, we encounter people we know well…and those we only know casually. But each one is important to someone…and especially to God - just as we are. It is important that we treat others with love, compassion, and genuine kindness. Whatever our circumstances or the challenges we are facing on any given day, we can offer a smile – and where appropriate, a hug - to someone else. We can treat them with respect and convey to them a sense of value and worth. We can ask ourselves, “How would Jesus treat me if we were chatting on Facebook or met at school, in church – or even at Wal-Mart? How would He respond to me if He saw me at a restaurant – or a mutual friend introduced us? How would I want Him to respond?” THIS is the answer to how we should treat others!
Occasionally, I am contacted by someone who read one of these devotionals or saw something I posted on one of my blogs or Facebook. I’m not talking about those annoying “spammers” who sometimes contact us pretending to be someone they aren’t. God wants us to be cautious… to be able to determine when we are in danger of being scammed or mistreated. It’s okay to block these people…or to politely cut conversations short and avoid interaction with those you feel reasonably certain are pursuing you to further their own advantage - or with underhanded motives.
I’m talking about real, honest-to-goodness people who are seeking encouragement or compassion…young people who are wrestling with the challenges of daily life… caregivers who are struggling to deal with a relative who is aging…a grandma who is looking for cute sewing ideas for her grandchildren…someone who is grieving and truly having a difficult time coping with his/her feelings. I believe that God creates such encounters in order to provide us with an opportunity to share His love with others…and to give those whom we bless in His name the “good things” that they need to remain encouraged. Each time I respond to one of these people or situations, I am representing my faith in God and how He has blessed me. I am being obedient to God’s directives via Paul’s message in this scripture passage. It matters greatly what I say, how I say it, and the attitude and demeanor I convey in the process. And the same is true for you!
God never wastes an opportunity…and neither should we! Let’s double our efforts to be vigilant in sharing His love, compassion, kindness and encouragement with others. And let’s make sure that we do so with a smile, a hug or pat on the back when appropriate, accuracy, a kind word, and a positive attitude. Let’s be guardedly friendly…and do our part to bring out the best in others. In many cases, we will never truly realize the impact we have on those we encounter – both positively and negatively. Make every effort to be a whole, holy and fit creation of God…and to make each and every gesture really count for Him!
©2014 Debbie Robus
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