1 Thessalonians 5:11-14
That’s why you must encourage and help each other, just as you are already doing.
My friends, we ask you to be thoughtful of your leaders who work hard and tell you how to live for the Lord. Show them great respect and love because of their work. Try to get along with each other. My friends, we beg you to warn anyone who isn’t living right. Encourage anyone who feels left out, help all who are weak, and be patient with everyone.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Less than a week ago, Greg and I helplessly watched out our living room windows as a house located on the ridge across the river from us burned to the ground. I’m told that a family got out unscathed…but they lost everything. I believe it! The flames leapt above the treetops, and the fire seemed massive in size. Later that same morning, our community – and virtually the entire state – was crippled by a winter storm. We were blanketed with about 4 inches of sleet and ice that still remains evident in grassy and shady areas – and covered most roadways for days…leaving many unable to travel anywhere. Throughout this ordeal, our law enforcement officials…city, county and state road crews...power company linemen…and countless other emergency service and rescue personnel and government leaders worked around the clock to clear the mess, restore power and order…and reach those in dire need of aid and services.
On the heels of these challenges, there was a house fire in our community that left one person hospitalized with serious burns. Then this morning, as area schools began to re-open after the winter storm, a 54-year-old woman rear-ended a school bus when it stopped to pick up the fourth passenger of the day. The woman was killed…the infant riding in her mini-van and the driver and students on the bus were uninjured. Witnesses say it was truly a tragic scene.
To say that our law enforcement, fire department and emergency service and rescue personnel have been through the wringer in the last week would be an understatement. Some of these folks are friends of mine…others I don’t know at all. I hear positive talk about some…and not-so-good things about others. But at the end of the day, they have all been working hard for the people of my county and state…they have been risking their own lives, leaving their own families, withstanding sub-freezing temperatures and facing human suffering and tragedy that no one would wish on his/her own worst enemy. And for this, they deserve our respect and compassion…as well as our gratitude and prayers. More importantly, we are instructed in scripture to do this!
If we are going to call ourselves Christians, we simply must think about other people. We must encourage those who struggle or feel left out…we must help the weak and be patient with everyone. I reminded myself of the latter as I sat at my niece’s basketball game and listened to the roar of the fans for the opposing team when they took the lead. Those parents, family members and friends loved their kids and wanted the win just as badly as we did. It might be hard to stomach, but we were all truly in the same boat. I thought of this as a lady whizzed down a grocery aisle at Wal-Mart and almost “t-boned” me when I turned the corner. She was talking on her cell phone and not paying one bit of attention to where she was going. There was a time when I would probably have at least wanted to give her a piece of my mind – and a lecture on the dangers of “talking and driving”! Instead, I took a deep breath and smiled at her.
It really takes very little time and energy to stop and let someone know you care. You can drop them a private message on Facebook and tell them… or send them a text or e-mail. Here’s a novel idea… pick up the phone and actually talk to someone to tell them how much you are thinking of them or what they mean to you! When you walk into a restaurant and see a table filled with law enforcement officers or emergency services personnel – or a power company crew who is working in your area to get your electricity working again, walk over and thank them for their service. Tell them you appreciate how hard they work. It doesn’t matter whether you know this to be true of each one of them individually. The fact that you took time to thank them might be the incentive for those who are slacking off a bit to do better! People will generally rise to expectations!
Finally, it costs you virtually nothing to smile at others. Oh, you might use an extra facial muscle or two…but the results are so worth it! Give it a whirl and see what happens! Watch people respond in kind. Thank the clerk at the grocery store as he/she hands your receipt to you…and offer a “Have a good day!” Say this with a kind tone that indicates you are sincere, and watch their whole body language change. We are often so busy looking for the BIG acts of kindness and compassion we can perform that we forget about the simplest of actions…such as a smile, a compliment, or a heartfelt “Thanks so much!”
If I had included verse 10 from 1 Thessalonians 5, you would hear the Apostle Paul reminding us how Christ died for our sins…so that we could all live with Him someday. He didn’t do this just for you and me…he didn’t exclude law enforcement, government leaders, or the sanitation worker who never puts the lid back on your trash can when he collects your garbage. His love, grace, mercy, kindness, forgiveness – and salvation – is freely offered to everyone. We cannot directly save anyone, but we can offer them salvation in Jesus Christ…and we can demonstrate His qualities and character traits to others in His name.
If we really want to live for Jesus and carry His message to others…we must eagerly offer these things to everyone…not just a chosen few. Just how serious are you about serving Jesus and sharing His message?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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