I Thessalonians 5:12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.
23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
God is at work, doing wonderful things in the hearts and lives of people. Sometimes it seems like all we do is get in the way and mess things up. So as Paul is wrapping up this rather encouraging letter, he reminds us of little ways we can contribute to the cause of the Church. Be supportive, not disruptive. Get involved in each other's lives, having a positive impact with our words. Set an upbeat tone or culture in the church by rejoicing, praying and thanks giving. Get involved in serious study of God's Word, and take obeying it seriously. In short, step back, trust Christ, and see what God can and will do when we don't get in the way.
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