“Therefore encourage (admonish, exhort) one another and edify (strengthen and build up) one another, just as you are doing. And we earnestly beseech you, brethren, admonish (warn and seriously advise) those who are out of line [the loafers, the disorderly, and the unruly]; encourage the timid and fainthearted, help and give your support to the weak souls, [and] be very patient with everybody [always keeping your temper].” 1 Thessalonians 5:11&14 ->me: Based on what I have going on my life right now, these verses are a great reminder of why I am here. This is the Christian life in community. In almost all of Paul’s letters he gives instruction like this. The importance of our role within the body of believers can not be understated. My prayer today is that the Lord would reveal those weak souls in my life who I can come alongside and encourage. I looked up the biblical definition of ‘loafer’ and it is most described as ‘culpable idleness’ or ‘inadequate or indifferent’. I see this as someone who is not allowing themselves to be used by God; someone who is in a position to help others but just pats the person, struggling spiritually, on the back and says “you’ll be ok, you’ll get through this”. I need to make sure I am not that person, that I am growing my relationship with the Lord in such a way that I can come alongside those hurting/struggling and encourage with appropriate scripture and prayer.
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