Be at peace

And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. Be at peace among yourselves. - 1 Thessalonians 5v12-13

I am not much for tick list Christianity. I have had enough of man made rules and regulations that are supposed to measure spirituality. If I am not careful I can be so put off by these that I can reject any kind of list.

Here at the end of Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians however he gives a list of principles that we are to apply. As we go through them notice that he is dealing with matters of the heart, not a list of externals. If I were to make a tick list I think this would be a good place to start.

First off we are told to recognise and esteem those spiritual leaders that God has put into our lives. God knows the importance of godly leadership and instruction. There can be no doubt that God has put these men in place. Our response is not to put them up on a pedestal, or elevate them to some unreal adulation or idolatry, but to know that God put them there and esteem them for that.

Right after that Paul returns to a common theme – ‘Be at peace among yourselves’ The body of Christ should be a safe place. When we come together it needs to be the one place in this messed up world where we can be at peace. That means that we love and understand each other. That means that we can, in a sense, ‘let our hair down.’ It means we don’t hide behind a ‘stained glass masquerade.’ It means that we can share our hurts and pains and frustrations and temptations and fears and struggles and anxieties without fear of feeling left our or condemned.

Be at peace among yourselves. It is a Sunday morning as I write this and we are preparing for church, may our service today exemplify this concept. May we have a time of edification, encouragement, praise, worship, and teaching. And may we have a time and place of true peace.