1 Thessalonians 5:14 “Now we exhort you, brothers, warn those who are unruly, encourage the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.”
Have you ever wondered what your responsibilities are to other believers? We are, after all, our brother’s keeper. While there are well over 60 actions that believers are to do for one another I find 1 Thessalonians 5:14 gives us some of the clearest instructions we will find for what we are to be doing for each other. Paul gives three actions that cover a wide range of needs that fellow believers have with a fourth action that is needed with the other three. The short summary is we need to be patient with each other, and then, as it is needed, we WARN a brother who is getting unruly or wayward in their walk, encourage a brother who is exhausted, and POUR into a weak brother to build up him up.
Going deeper, the apostle Paul expects believers to be involved in each other’s lives and as one sees things, even senses things, one will take proactive action to help a brother out. The first action that Paul calls for is, quite frankly, challenging. As we see a brother becoming unruly or wayward we are to warn them or admonish them. The unruly has stepped out of line. They are starting to head the wrong way. To admonish means to speak into the mind truth. As brothers and sisters should desire to help each other stay on the path of righteousness so we do the difficult thing and with love speak truth into their lives.
We are to encourage the fainthearted. Becoming fainthearted or being discouraged is very real. We can easily become weary doing good. One can become exhausted. The idea behind the word “fainthearted” is to lose soul. Picture a hot air balloon that has a puncture and it begins to lose altitude. Encouragement is like a patch over the hole. It also blows air into the balloon so that it soars again. As good brothers and sisters, we should want to help keep other brothers and sisters running strong. It is amazing what an encouraging word can do for an exhausted soul!
Then Paul writes that we should uphold the weak. The idea here is to help one stand on their own. We are to be equipping the weak to be empowered to live out their Christian life.
The Apostle Paul concludes with an action for all three actions in which we are to be patient. We are to be patient with the wayward as we warn them. We then wait for them to return to the paths of righteousness.
We are to be patient with the fainthearted/weary as we encourage them, waiting for them to regain altitude.
We are to be patient with the weak as we pour into them. As we equip them, they surely will stand on their own.
What action(s) based on 1 Thessalonians 5:14 do you need to take with another believer today?
Continue Strong helping your brothers and sisters out,
And Remember to DATE the Word