Lessons for Living ~ 1 Thessalonians 5.12-22

LESSONS FOR LIVING~ a summary ~ 1 Thessalonians 5.12-22

Good Day!

Paul is wrapping up his letter to the Thessalonians, and he summarizes proper behavior, which can almost be divided into areas of responsible living. (In the following, the Scripture will be underlined, and the explanation will follow it.)

Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. ‘Treat your Christian leaders and teachers well, and hold them in high esteem—love them well,’ Paul tells the people almost 2,000 years ago. ‘Your leaders sacrifice for you, and are deserving of your devotion. They will be held to a higher standard by God, so pray for them, and support them.’

Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.
The always hard-working tentmaker and teacher, Paul, sets our proper conduct for living: ‘Do not quarrel; instead, do what it takes to get along with one another. Even when someone wrongs you, return kindness to him. Accept personal responsibility in working hard to support yourself . . . don’t be a drag on the community coffers. Encourage the timid, be ready to lend a hand to the weak, and practice patience with all.

Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ‘Carry in your heart the grace and mercy you have come to know since you met Jesus. Choose joy and give thanks no matter what circumstance you find yourself. This is not always easy, but even when I [Paul] was locked down in stocks and in a cold, dank prison, I could sing praise and thanksgiving to God. Even then, I knew that this earth was not my home. You see, Friends, we are just passing through, because we are citizens of Heaven—not Rome! From the time you awaken in the morning, until you lay your head down at night, talk to your Father. In everything you do, whisper a prayer for wisdom and guidance, and issue forth ‘thanks’ as you go along the way. In doing these things, you are abiding in the will of God.’

Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. ‘You will remember that the Holy Spirit came to reside within the believer at the time of Pentecost, after Jesus accomplished what He came to do, and returned to the Father’s side. (Acts 1 and 2) The Holy Spirit is God inside you who profess the name of Jesus; He is God at work in you and around you.’ Here we see Paul telling the young believers not to limit the Holy Spirit’s activity, including the Spirit-given gift of prophecy. At the same time, Paul warns that prophecies should be tested, so that nothing false could be attributed to the Spirit.
When I was about 12 years old, I was in a worship service, and a woman had a ‘word from the Lord,’ except it wasn’t . . . from the Lord. Apparently, this lady had a ‘beef’ with a church rule and used this platform to air it. She said something like this, ‘You shall not tell the women of the church they are not to wear pants on the platform when they sing in the choir. . .’ All around the sanctuary, heads popped up, and mouths fell open, as folks realized this was not a ‘word from the Lord,’ but rather this lady’s personal agenda. So what happened? Because the prophecy she uttered was wrong, the pastor quickly took control, and said, ‘Madam, I am going to ask you to keep silent. You are out of line.’ And that was the end of it. Only, not really, because I am telling you about it some 36 years later! It was memorable. In 1 Corinthians chapter 14, Paul discusses the orderly way in which tongues, interpretation, and prophecy should operate when they are truly from God – for they are meant to edify, or build up, the body of Christ.

At first glance, our passage today—1 Thessalonians 5.12-22 – appeared to be a shopping-list of right behavior, yet closer examination reveals the comprehensive nature of Paul’s instruction to those whom he loved. And yet we see that his teaching, like so much of his teaching to the churches he had started on his missionary journeys, has direct application for us today.

Let me give you two nuggets to carry in your heart today:
Choose to be joyful and in doing so,

Spread joy to others along your way.

Carry thankfulness in your heart,

rather than a complaining spirit.
May the peace of Christ be with you this day~
Christine
podcast: www.pastorwoman.com