1 Thessalonians 5:14 / Not Cookie Cutter.

1 Thessalonians 5:14  / Not Cookie Cutter.

14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 

Because of my personality type, I like to create systems to help things run in the most efficient way possible.  These systems or rhythms have been helpful in managing the busy season that God has placed me in.  One of my most needed areas of organization is with our kids.  I have a rhythm of getting them up each morning, getting them out the door for school on time, and one for putting them to bed.

The reality with kids though, is that the system helps, but since no kid is the same, I have to hold these systems with an open hand and adjust as needed.  There is no cookie cutter approach because each one of my kids is a different kind of cookie!

In 1 Thessalonians 5, the apostle Paul was writing to the church in Thessalonica and giving them his last-minute exhortations or commands as he closed out his letter.  In verse 14, he gave them (and now us) a command about how to deal with the different types of Christians you might walk through life with.

The first are the Idle – the word used here refers to people who are lazy, unmotivated, or unruly.  These are Christians who are not walking with the Lord and need to be admonished or warned.  With this group, they need fellow believers to confront their sin and help them see the danger in the direction they are going.  

The second type mentioned are the Fainthearted – this is a group that is not necessarily in sin, they are just tired.  They are discouraged in their walk with the Lord and need to be encouraged and cheered on.  This group needs us to rally around them and help infuse strength and hope for the days ahead.

The third group are the Weak – the weak are those who simply don’t know how to do what they are supposed to do. They might need help knowing what to do, and practical ways to do it. They’re not necessarily being lazy; they just need the tools to live out their faith successfully.

Just like with my kids, there is no cookie cutter approach to dealing with people, because we are all on different levels of maturity in our faith or in different seasons of life.  As we work towards building one another up in love, it’s important to prayerfully consider where the other person is and build them up in the way that will help them become like Christ.

If you admonish the fainthearted, you will crush their spirit, when all they really need is encouragement to keep going.  If you encourage the idle, you might actually enable a habit or lifestyle that is not pleasing to the Lord, and so on.

So, what is the lesson from this verse for us as we walk in community?  We need to be aware of where people are spiritually, and sensitive to the Spirit as we work towards becoming like Christ together.  And with all of this, we must “be patient with them all” remembering the patience and grace we’ve been shown by God in our own lives.

With much love, 

 Pastor Dave

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