1 Timothy 5:1-2 AMPC
[1] DO NOT sharply censure or rebuke an older man, but entreat and plead with him as [you would with] a father. Treat younger men like brothers; [2] [Treat] older women like mothers [and] younger women like sisters, in all purity.
Human relationships are complex. They become even more important when they are considered under the umbrella of a church or fellowship setting. The young man to whom this letter was written by Paul would know a thing or two about understanding the complex nature of the relationships he had to manage, and how he had to strive to maintain peace and order in an environment where competing needs and interests would occur. This is the peculiar thing about the church: we come to Christ at different times in our lives, and we are given different gifts to be made manifest at different times in our walk of faith. Due to the fact that the earthly church is not always filled with people who have a good understanding of what God demands or expects from His children per time, it is very likely you will find conflicts, and sometimes, irreconcilable differences.
The full exercise of some of these gifts will place some people in the public eye, while some gifts are more suited for support and encouragement, and may not always be visible. However, it is critical to note that the exercise and usage of the gifts by a child of God must not be to promote discord, or to cause disregard to other people. The gifts of the Holy Spirit were given to be blessings to the body of Christ, so that every part may receive that which it needs for growth as well as further impact. Actions will be required; words will be spoken; hands will be extended and feet will have to move. As I am called to be a blessing to other people, I must depend on the One who owns and assigns the gifts to make sure they are used the right way. The person next to me is precious to God; I must be careful not to place my desire to always be right over and above the need to watch out for the eternal welfare of the other person.
One way to do this is to ensure that I deal with every one with respect. No matter the knowledge or experience I may have acquired, it has to touch lives the right way for it to be appreciated. The body of Christ is just like the human family, with older fathers and mothers, as well as older or younger brothers and sisters. The same way I would treat those related to me by human genealogy and blood must be the same way I will treat those who have now become related to me by the blood of Jesus. Being rude is not an option; feeling superior is of no value; positions are platforms for the proper administration of the church, but must not become the basis of am argument for superiority. Purity is key, as this is the nature of God. All who claim to know and follow God must live by God's standards laid out in the verse above. No excuses will be accepted for failure to adhere; remember, without holiness, no man shall see the Lord. God's time of favour is here.
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