“Now we ask you, brothers, to respect
those who work hard among you,
those who are over you in the Lord and
who admonish you.
Hold them in the highest regard in love
because of their work.
Live at peace with each other.
1 Thess. 5:13
The Apostle Paul makes a request here of the believers in
Thessalonica. He asks them to respect those who work hard. Have you ever seen
someone who works so much on a project that they make you tired just by
watching them or of hearing what they do? These folks will be working for the
Lord for as long as they can.
Next, he tells his readers, then and now, to have respect
for those who are over us—our supervisors, our mentors, our pastors. We need to
pray for those who guide us through our days and those who minister to our
souls.
He tells us to hold them in high regard because of the work
they do. Most of the time, those in roles of leadership have to deal with
issues that cause a lot of pain and discouragement. They find themselves in
stressful situations and have to continue on as though nothing was wrong.
Paul asks his readers, then and now, to live peaceably with
those around us. In order for us in the 21st. Century to live in
peace, we need to ask God to give us His eyes. We sometimes need to take ourselves
out of the equation; step back and watch the scene unfold.
Prayer
Dear Father God; Thank you for your great love that bring us
through the rough times in our lives. Thank you for allowing us to have people
in our lives who guide us to You. We
praise You for those whom You have called to lead those who love You. Please
allow us to have Your eyes when we view our surroundings. We give You praise
for all things. In the name of Jesus, we pray. AMEN
Thanks for sharing this. As a pastor's wife, it breaks my heart when I feel like those we serve year after year never say "thanks." I know we are working for the Lord, not for the applause of men, but it's so refreshing to hear, "we appreciate all you do."
ReplyDeleteThat said, I appreciate all YOU do to promote Jesus' word on earth, Cecelia!
Jeanette:Everyday, I see committed people work hard for the Lord. Thank you for your kind words.
DeleteGreat post. Keep them coming
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mary.
Delete