1Thessalonians 5:14
What do you do when your friend claims to be a Christian, but lives like he’s never heard of Jesus? What do you say when your sister is diagnosed with terminal cancer? What words can you offer someone whose family just fell apart? What do you do when you’re reading a blog and the writer keeps asking questions and won’t get to the point?
The Wrong
Admonish the idle…
Idle is a translation of a word that includes ideas of disorderliness, slackness, unruliness, and disobedience. This is your friend who is living like a fool, without responsibility or direction or mission in life. They’re tardy. They forget important things. They aren’t working to love their families. They aren’t engaged in life in any purposeful way.
Christians are urged to admonish people they love who live this way, which means to exhort, warn, counsel, reason with appeal to their mind, and exert positive pressure.
The Wary
Encourage the fainthearted…
The fainthearted are those who lack courage and confidence. These are the people who are afraid, and usually for good reason. They’re business is floundering. Their health has been compromised. Their kids are straying. Christians are urged to encourage people like this. Comfort them. Console them. Cheer them with soothing speech.
The Weak
Help the weak…
Weak people simply can’t. They lack vigor and strength and resources. They’re frail and feeble. These might be physically, emotionally, or mentally sick people. These are people knocked on their backs from sudden tragedy or heartbreak. These are parents whose child has died or a husband whose wife has left him. And they need help.
The word translated here help is deep. It’s the idea of holding fast to someone, staying with them, sticking by them, being there for them. It’s time spent with them, nearby, available. Often, there are no words to say in this situation, just offer availability and presence.
All
And finally, be patient with them all.
Jesus
Thankfully, as we ponder our failure in these areas and our own identification with the wrong, wary, and weak, we can look to Jesus. He is the right, the courageous, and the strong. He admonishes, encourages, and helps us. He is patient with us. And as we go to him to receive this sort of love we are enabled to offer it to others.
