Measured!

Measured!

‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:13b‭-‬14‬ ‭AMP‬‬

[13b] Live in peace with one another. 

[14] We [earnestly] urge you, believers, admonish those who are out of line [the undisciplined, the unruly, the disorderly], encourage the timid [who lack spiritual courage], help the [spiritually] weak, be very patient with everyone [always controlling your temper]. 

The Context and Focus:

As I read the verses above, consider the verses that come just before these. You find Paul, Silas and Timothy writing to the church in Thessalonica, charging them to remember that the day of the Lord is coming. This is the day that had been spoken about several times, and at the risk of sounding like a broken record, some may have been thinking it was not going to happen. However, as God has been found to be faithful to His Word, you can also be certain that He will also keep to His Word here. I cannot pick and choose the one that makes me comfortable, and then reject the one that reminds me of the coming judgment. I need to get a balanced view of the expectations of God for me. How am I making the right preparations for that day? If the Lord were to return today, would I go with Him, or would there be weights or easily besetting sin that would hold me back? The times we live in right now require that I am sure of my eternal reality.

The Message:

When I am sure, then I can come back to the verses above. It is a waste of time to demand peace from someone who does not know who Peace is. I note that Jesus is the prince of peace, and as I look at the world, it is clear that he is the missing piece. Nations have stockpiled weapons of mass destruction, yet are no closer to peace. Nations rise against nations and lives are lost in needless wars and fightings, yet men seem to find new and novel ways to kill. Until a man meets with and surrenders to the Prince of peace, it will be very difficult for that man to live at peace with anyone else. It is the One who controls my heart that will define its pursuits, priorities and purpose. When the inner man is at peace, then the outer man will also follow suit. When Jesus is in charge, He directs the orchestra to make music that is appealing. Then, my life can minister to different people at different times. When I am rightly connected, then I can make the right impact. 

The Conclusion:

Then I can reach out to different groups. I will have a word of admonition and correction for the undisciplined and the unruly. I will also have a word of encouragement for the timid, and a word of hope and strength for the one who is spiritually weak. I will also be patient with everyone who comes my way. All the above flow from a heart that is totally surrendered to the control and influence of the Holy Spirit. It is impossible for a man who does not have the Word to be able to speak the word of life to anyone in need of it. You cannot give what you don't have, and you also cannot fake that which is of God.  My life becomes the visible expression of the invisible God. Men see the light of God in me and they are attracted. Men come in contact with salt in me, and their lives are challenged and transformed by the power of God at work in and through me. That critical factor is the work of God in me. My life can have a measure of impact, because it has the measure of the presence of God. Can this be said of me? God's time of favour is here.