Simple Obedience in a Complicated World
The words of a former boss of mine from years ago haunt me from time to time. He was not anti-Christian, but he often told me what he thought of many who claimed Christianity. We have had many conversations over the years and maintain our friendship today. The conversation took place in a restaurant known for their breakfast menu.
We were meeting for breakfast one day while I was doing some consulting for the company. My friend frequented this place more often than I did and had noticed the number of people toting Bibles into a private dining room where various groups would have meetings. On this day I saw the 15 or so business people that filed into the room.
My friend asked me, “What are they doing back there all the time?” I said they were probably having a Bible study. He replied, “Is it that hard to understand? Isn’t it kind of obvious what Christians are told to do in the Bible? Love one another, help others in need?”
I still think about that conversation. Over the years I have watched my friend quietly do a lot of things we Christians know to do and maybe discuss more often than we actually practice. I have seen him give generously to nonprofits, both faith-based and secular, who educate the poor, feed the poor, and provide mentoring and training for the down and out. I have also seen him quietly give to individuals in need.
I will admit there are sections of scripture that are hard to understand. And there are some passages or events that I think we will never understand, but I am pretty sure that God is likely not all that concerned about that. If he was, then Jesus would have started a seminary and made sure the disciples had it all down before sending them out. But he chose to take this ragtag group who frequently didn’t get what he had taught them, and he told them to go and make disciples. And they did.
When you read the gospels and the epistles, you often get to sections that are summaries of things we are supposed to do. Yes, Paul and others did some correcting of bad doctrine and false teaching, but they also did a lot of reminding believers of the activities we are called to do. 1 Thessalonians 5 includes lots of those things. So, I will simply list a few of them that Paul reminds us to do more than talk about.
Respect those Christian leaders in your community who labor for the Lord and admonish you. Love them and esteem them. (12,13)
Be at peace with each other. (13)
Admonish the idle (warn or correct). (14)
Encourage the fainthearted (those who are fearful and those who are anxious). (14)
Help the weak. (14)
Be patient with all the above. (14)
Don’t repay evil with evil but do good for others. (15)
Rejoice always. (16)
Pray without ceasing. (17)
In everything give thanks. (18) These last 3 are the will of God according to Paul.
Paul lists a few more that you can read on your own. But today, maybe all of us should take a day off from studying harder and simply go out and do the things Jesus told us to do. I suspect when we all do this more and more, my friend and some of your friends and even some of our enemies will find that Jesus loves them and want to be his disciple too!
Let’s pray with Paul’s words and then get going!
“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. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” Amen.
Your Time with God’s Word
1 Thessalonians 5:12-24 ESV
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