“Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other. Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil. Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful. Dear brothers and sisters, pray for us. Greet all the brothers and sisters with a sacred kiss. I command you in the name of the Lord to read this letter to all the brothers and sisters. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”
1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 NLT
Working hard is an important part of following Jesus. Christ was not lazy, and He calls His followers to work in all things as if they are working for Him. In these verses, Paul gave many challenges, including prayer, joy, doing good to all, not taking vengeance, and more. He also emphasizes working hard – a rule of life for all people, especially leaders. Christian leaders are to lead the way in following Jesus and working hard for Him.
All things in your life connect to Christ – the media you watch, the relationships you have, the attitude you show, and the way you work. Don’t segment off your life and put God in a corner. Jesus is Lord of all, and as you surrender to Him, every part of your life can have His joy and peace.
Verse 18 says, “Be thankful in all circumstances.” How are you doing on that command? How can you make Jesus the center of your life, surrendering every part of your life to Him?
