God’s Correction and Encouragement
Photo by Ian Taylor on Unsplash
How do you know who needs correction and who needs encouragement?
It has been said that the good news of Jesus Christ—the gospel, afflicts the comfortable and comforts the afflicted.
The truth is, there is always room to grow and to improve—people need correction, and everyone needs and thrives on some loving and caring encouragement—people need encouragement.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonian church urging them to warn and to encourage fellow believers for the benefit and the good of the entire church community.
Paul exhorted the church, saying, “We we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.” (1 Thessalonians 5:14-15, NIV).
The Thessalonian church needed a stern warning over two deficiencies that they had: Idleness and disruption. There is a dysfunction in not doing anything and being disengaged, or idle, and there is a dysfunction in being busy doing the wrong things, or being disruptive.
Paul also pointed out areas where people desperately needed encouragement in the Thessalonian church. Paul instructed the church to encourage the disheartened, help the weak, and to be patient with everyone.
It is the disheartened and the discouraged that need encouragement. Encouragement is good medicine for the discouraged. Encouragement goes a long way and cannot be overdone. Everyone benefits from an extra measure of encouragement and is better for it.
Paul advocated for help for the weak. Those who do not have strength in themselves can always benefit from the help and the strength of the people around them. We all need the strength of God and others in our weakness.
Paul insisted that the church be patient with everyone, because everyone needs patience and can benefit from the patience of others. The product of plentiful patience is peace.
Lastly, Paul instructed the Thessalonian church to “make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.” (1 Thessalonians 5:15, NIV).
The destructive sinful cycle of wrong is broken when the good that is needed is done for another. We should always seek to do good to everyone around us, in our corrections, and in our encouragement of others.
This correction and encouraging is what God does for each of us. As the Psalmist writes, “You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry.” (Psalm 10:17, NIV).
As Paul instructed the early church, and as God encourages us and hears our cry, we also ought to hear one another, lovingly correct one another, encourage one another, and always strive to do what is good for one another.
In Christ alone, Robbie
A Prayer For Those Who Serve Others: “O Lord our heavenly Father, whose blessed Son came not to be served, but to serve: We ask you to bless all who, following in his steps, give themselves to the service of others, especially those who lovingly correct and encourage your church; endue them with wisdom, patience, and courage, that they may strengthen the weak and raise up those who fall, and, being inspired by your love, may worthily minister to the suffering, the friendless, and the needy; for the sake of him who laid down his life for us, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.” (#45, Book of Common Prayer, 2019).
Photo by Ian Taylor on Unsplash
