We Are To Have Concern And We Are To Encourage
1 Thessalonians 3:2-7
What does a laborer in CHRIST JESUS look like? Is he and or she the one who wears the tab or full colors to denote that they are ministers? Or is he and or she the one that will sit at the Master’s feet namely JESUS and learn of HIM as Holy Spirit inspires those who have positions within the building of the place where we go collectively to worship GOD? The place where we all should be having our faith stretched either in Sunday worship or Bible study weekly. But not only that, does a laborer spend quality alone time with JESUS searching out through studying the scriptures for him and herself? Using those various tools that help us to understand what we are reading but most of all hearing from Holy Spirit to gain His Knowledge, Understanding, and Wisdom until Revelation Knowledge comes. And what does our prayer life look like? Do we talk to GOD or do we speak with GOD? Are we having a monologue or a dialogue?
We will never have concern for our brothers and sisters in CHRIST JESUS when our relationship with The FATHER is either non-existent or pseudo. Pseudo means that when we are around those that we believe are religious we put on our best religious act knowing full well that we only think about GOD on Sundays, Resurrection Sunday [aka Easter], Mother’s Day, CHRISTmas, Funerals, and maybe Wedding’s. Then we run to GOD when all hell is falling upon us. This is not how we can develop concern for one another nor is it how we can be able to encourage one another.
All of us go through the fire from time to time, it is inevitable because life happens. And there are times when our backs are up against a wall that even the strongest CHRISTian find it difficult to encourage and pray for themselves. This is where most of us come in. We have been made aware of a difficult time someone that we care for is going through and we desire to be a help to them. Do we go to them and say what most people say which is contradictory to who GOD is and stupid communication? Or do we go in prayer asking Holy Spirit to give us what to say and help us to pray for the person and family because sometimes Holy Spirit will just have us be there and say nothing but do the small things that are really tremendous for the person or people?
Just as most of us have concern for our natural family we too must have concern for our spiritual family because after all, they are our eternal family not so much our natural ones. Maybe some of us do not really understand what it means to have concern for another because we have not had anyone to show concern for us. Well here is your lesson; concern-relate or belong to, to affect the interest of, to be of importance to, to take an interest in, to engage by feeling or sentiment, affection, and careful regard.
We first must have concern for another before we can encourage another person. We must have the ability to establish the faith of a person that could possibly be challenged by what they are experiencing. We are to settle or fix their wavering, doubtful, or weak faith. We must help them to remember who they are as well as confirm that GOD Is still GOD and that they are not alone in this troubling time. Most things that we go through are of our own doing or GOD allows other things to take place. But know this, GOD never will be the cause of those things that trouble us. Going through the fire is only a test that we all must go through and we will either pass or fail the test. When we pass the test we experience GOD’s unexplainable joy, the type of joy that when hell tries to overtake us again like an ocean wave we will know how to rejoice and again rejoice. It will be in those times when we will notice that we are no longer shaken by that episode anymore. Why? Because we have been appointed for this to not only go through but to take the hand of others as we encourage them to pass the test.
Understand dear ones, each of us will experience tribulations. My question to you is are you the cause of the tribulations that you are experiencing or are they tribulations that come with living this earthly life? Only you know the true answer to that question. Our faith can be shaken only when we do not have a mature relationship with FATHER and HIS Word. When we do not have the knowledge of knowing what HE has said to us about the tribulations that we may experience or will experience. Every answer we will ever need is in the book we call Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.
When we speak to our family in CHRIST about another are we able to share about the love they have for others and of their growing faith in JESUS? Do we know with assurance that while they are experiencing affliction that they are comforted in their faith through CHRIST JESUS? Conversations such as this encourage the listener as well as strengthen them.
AMFBeM © TM