Life at large - 1st Thessalonians 5:14-28

"We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 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. Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass. Brethren, pray for us. Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss. 27 I adjure you by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brethren. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you." (1st Thessalonians 5:14-28)

The people we interact with everyday are at various stages in their walk with the Lord. Some have yet to come to know Him, some are just infants, others are learning how to overcome sins in their life by His grace, and some are pressing on towards the mark of maturity. With that being said, then we must not presume that the needs of people are all the same but rather dependent on where they are presently in their journey of faith. Some need to hear about the love of God, some need admonishing, some need comforting, and some just need help. When we look at people we must look at them through the eyes of wisdom that we might know how we can best aid them in their walk of faith. Otherwise we might end up admonishing the oppressed and encouraging the unruly. People are different and we must treat them differently. Fortunately, no matter what state someone is in, God has exactly what they need and, in many cases, he wants to use us to minister it one to another.

In regards to our walk with the Lord we should be fully engaged. Paul uses terms like "always", "without ceasing", and "in everything". There is no live, real life, apart form Christ and we should live our days in the reality of this truth; being fully persuaded and involved in our relationship with Him. Christianity is not something we do once a week while we attend a church "service". Christianity is our very life and should consume all we do. Our lives should not be segmented: our religious life, our family life, and our professional life. Rather all aspects of our lives should be integrated under the Lordship of God. That being said, we should never cease from pursuing our relationship with Him and our abiding in His presence.

We must also allow for the invasion of God in our lives and in our churches. God does not want to be a silent spectator, watching our religious performances, but He wants to be an active part of all we do. When we gather together in His name we should expect the moving of the Spirit and we should expect and believe for prophesy and other manifestations of the Spirit. We should not offend God by trying to constrain or restrain His Spirit; asking Him to simply watch and listen but in no way to attempt to interfere with our plans. If we make it our aim to hold fast to what is good, then we know we will retain God for He alone is truly good. However, let us be sure we are judging with the mind of the Spirit and not with our carnal preferences or judgments.

Finally, let the sum of our faith and hope rest solely in God, for He alone is able to bring it all to pass.

David Robison