Day 19 – Support the Leaders of Your Local Church
Read: 1 Thessalonians 5: 12 – 28
As Paul closed his first letter to the Thessalonian church, he left them with some important words for growing Christians: your relationships with one another will either weaken or strengthen the church! In all too many cases, leaders in the church live under a microscope of criticism. If our goal in criticizing the leaders of our church is to point out their shortcomings, we will most likely fail to respect their position of authority and thus run the risk of weakening our church.
Paul urged the Thessalonian believers to respond to their church leaders in a way that reflected an attitude of respect. Respect is more than just resisting the temptation to criticize others. Respect is the result of honoring the authority and responsibilities God has assigned to our church leaders. As always, Christ-like love is an essential element in developing an attitude of respect toward the leaders of our local church. If you feel criticism is warranted, perhaps the best approach may be to commit the matter to prayer and trust God to intervene.
In today’s passage, Paul reminds us that inevitably some Christ followers will become “lazy” in their faith. In order for churches to remain strong, we need for each member to be strong – strong in faith, strong in prayer, and strong in service. We must be willing to warn, comfort, and help fellow believers in a way that is patient and redemptive in nature. Our purpose should always be to build others up rather than tear them down.
Worship has been defined as showing reverence to God; to kneel down before Him, literally or figuratively. For some folks, worship is something they attend but they may fail to participate. Worship should be something that adds to our life, not just our schedule. Genuine worship is characterized by an atmosphere of joy, prayer, thanksgiving and openness to the biblical truths revealed by the Spirit of God.
Prayer time: Lord, I know that time in your Word, time in worship, and consistent time in prayer are essential to a strong and vibrant relationship with you. I ask for the power of the Holy Spirit to empower my spirit to study, pray, serve and focus on you. When I am tired or busy with worldly cares, bring my focus back to you so I keep the main thing the main thing.
Final thought: Our goal must always be to “pursue what is good for one another and for all”. Be careful to never criticize someone in the presence of others or to make a spectacle of your attempt to come to their aid. Never offer criticism until you have prayed extensively for a person and examined the motives of your heart.