READING: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-21
The Christian Church is a family where there should be both spiritual and numerical growth. It is a community – a family – where members think of ways of praising and worshipping God together. They encourage and build up one another in our common faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
(1) We must esteem each other’s gifts and leave no room for rivalry or competition.
(2) We must be patient with one another and not become an instrument by which our brother is brought down or discouraged. Coming from different backgrounds and operating at various levels of the faith, those who are more mature should “bend low” and help the weaker ones to “pick-up” and grow. In this way, the body of Christ will be strengthened the more.
(3) Special attention is drawn to the leaders of the Church who are dedicated to the ministry of the word of God.
They have oversight of the flock – teaching, admonishing and instructing them as they are led by the Holy Spirit. They warn the unruly, strengthen the weak, and agonize for them in prayer. They are indeed assigned a robust role to play. This means that those to whom they minister so sacrificially have a duty to esteem them and also provide for them. Unfortunately, there are people in some Churches and fellowships who make it their pass-time to insult and look down on their spiritual leaders. They deliberately starve them of the respect that they deserve and the provision to look after themselves and their families. Such people are never happier than when they see their pastors, priests and Church leaders groan and complain of neglect, or hunger. If you are one of such people, you must REPENT and give your life to Jesus and be saved. If you denigrate your spiritual leader, you denigrate your spirituality.
PRAYER: Dear Father, help me to always remember that as a child of God I am a member of God’s family. May I do everything I should to help in building it up in Jesus’ Name, Amen