1 Thessalonians 5:14-18 - Dear
brothers, warn those who are lazy, comfort those who are frightened, take
tender care of those who are weak, and be patient with everyone. See
that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other
and to everyone else. Always be joyful. Always
keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be
thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
Paul takes a moment at the end of this letter to sum up all
his teachings. Warn others of the
dangers of being lazy…comfort those who hurt…care for the weak… be patient with
everyone… always try to do good… and be thankful to God in all circumstances. His words are clear and to the point…this is
how we are all to live our lives.
If we can learn to let these traits be our driving force…we
will begin to understand the depth of the great love God has for us by showing
it to others. God’s love is most
powerful when it is shared with others. God’s love was always designed to be
shared.
I will admit that the hardest of these traits to always do
is the joyful in all things instruction. I try to keep a smile on my face…and I
try to tell God I am thankful for everything good and bad…but my heart doesn’t
always buy into my words all the time. I definitely needed the reminder to keep
trying to be happy despite the circumstances God allows in my life.
Father…thank you for the reminder of how you expect me to
live my life. Forgive me for the times that I fail to show your love to
others. Help me to stay so focused on
you that these traits become habit…and sharing your love becomes priority like
it did for Paul. Amen.
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