Episode Transcript
1 Thessalonians 5:14-15
14 We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
15 See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.
I’m going to take a couple weeks and address the idea of thankfulness since Thanksgiving is upon us. In January, I will begin walking through John’s Gospel. During the holidays, I like to do something a little special. In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, we receive this instruction:
18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
God’s will for us is thankfulness in everything. His will for us isn’t for us to have a critical attitude. It’s not for us to be sad, depressed, worried, or anxious. God desires for us to be thankful sorts of people. I find that all the instructions for us in Scripture are not meant to burden us or create frustration in our lives. I find that all of God’s commandments work out for our happiness. They make us thankful people. God isn’t so needy that He just has to have a religious following. That’s not His motivation. He has our best interest in mind. I believe He does want us to be happy, to the point that Paul states very clearly here that God’s will is our thanksgiving in everything. There are many people who use religion as their excuse not to be happy or thankful. But, that’s explicitly not what God wants. Our happiness matters to God. In fact, here we see that it’s one reason Christ died to free us from the penalty and power of our sin. Thankfulness is God’s will for us in Christ.
Happy hearts filled with thanksgiving are kind of fleeting for many people. We are often burdened by the expectations of the world and overcome by the cares of the world. So, Paul tells people how to be happy in this life and especially in the context of the body of believers.
Leading up to his instruction to give thanks, Paul first tells the church to “admonish the unruly.” To admonish someone is to offer words of correction. There are certain people who seem like they are always trying to correct others or give their two cents worth of wisdom. Notice that Paul instructs us to admonish the unruly, not to always be admonishing everyone. The Holy Spirit is pretty good at leading His people. We don’t always have to be telling people what we think they should do. We certainly don’t always need to be correcting people. If someone is unruly, then we are to admonish him for the good of the whole congregation. What does it mean for someone to be unruly? Someone is unruly if he is causing disorder, confusion, or conflict. One way we facilitate hearts of thanksgiving and happiness in the congregation is to admonish those who cause division with their words and deeds. This is why every church needs a good, redemptive system of church discipline. Proper discipline facilitates happiness. Living undisciplined lives facilitates only chaos. I know Paul is talking about the church, here, but it seems this needs to be said for the home as well. Parents, discipline your children well if you want them to live happy and blessed lives.
Second, we are instructed to encourage the fainthearted and help the weak. There are people who lose hope in this world because the world without Christ is a hopeless place. As family in Christ, we are to encourage one another when our hearts grow faint. There are people in this world who cannot speak or act for themselves. The responsibility is given to the strong in Christ to speak and act on their behalf—offering true help instead of walking over them because we are stronger.
Third, we are to be patient with everyone. It is easy for us to grow impatient with people because they don’t behave the way we think they ought, because we think they should have a better understanding about something, or because we don’t think they are performing well according to our standards. To live like Jesus demands that we practice patience toward others. They will grow in the Holy Spirit’s timing according to the Holy Spirit’s will, not in our timing according to our wills.
Fourth, we are not to retaliate but seek the good of others despite how they treat us. I don’t think I need to explain this one any further. It is the easiest line to understand, but likely the most difficult to put into practice.
There is an obvious theme, here. The world tells us that we can be happy by living for ourselves, getting all we can, gaining more experiences, pursuing a higher education. having money and things, ignoring those around us, not being part of their drama, and leaving people who drag us down. Even when people live according to the advice of the world, they are unhappy and can’t find reasons in this life to be thankful. The Bible’s perspective is exactly the opposite. Do you want to experience happiness and have a thankful heart in everything? Seek the good of others, even those who do evil against you. This is counterintuitive to the way of the world, but I can honestly say that it’s good advice. We are happier and more thankful when we live for the good of others rather than ourselves. I think God designed reality that way. I think it is one of the most important realizations we can make. God wants us to be happy, blessed, and thankful. So, He does not hide this from us.
I don't know what your plans are this thanksgiving. I hope it is a blessed time for you and your family. We have much to be thankful for and, honestly, not very much to be burdened about. Even our momentary troubles pale in comparison to God’s goodness over the millennia. Sadly in many churches around the world, the happiness and thankfulness of the congregation isn’t really prioritized from the pulpit or in the administration of the church even though God seems to care deeply about it. Every church organization should care more about the blessings of its people than numerical growth, financial giving, or programming. By God’s grace, we will continue in that way—being here to serve rather than be served. When God disciplines us or doesn’t give us what we want, we know that it’s always for our good. In like manner, when we tell our children, “No.” or refuse to do something for someone else, it should be for their good—not simply because it is an inconvenience for us. No part of the Christian life is convenient. Every part of the Christian life is good and produces blessings in this life and the next.
