“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 (NIV)
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
Graphic: praisequotes.com
Good Morning Cecelia! I have seen very hard workers, that's for sure. And we really should honor our fellow believers who work so hard...starting with our pastors and deacons. It's so easy to point fingers and say how much these people fail us. But we really should prize them.
ReplyDeleteJoining you in your prayer for our leaders, both spiritual and corporal (especially in todays political world!)
Ceil
Good afternoon, Ceil. Thank you for your helping me pray for our leaders. We are in the midst of Pastor Appreciation Month. We should voice our appreciation to those who shepherd our flocks.
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