Build each other up

1 Thessalonians 5:11-24 (TNIV) -

11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you.13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.
16 Rejoice always,17 pray continually,

18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
19 Do not put out the Spirit’s fire.20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt21 but test them all; hold on to what is good,

22 reject whatever is harmful.
23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

My thoughts -

Paul spent the first part of chapter 5 explaining that, although we do not know the hour we do know that the end is coming and we need to be prepared. He explained the need to be "awake and sober". We know that the things of this world won't last. We need to wake up from our materialistic stupor and be more aware of the eternal. First century Christians, especially the Thessalonians, believed that Christ would come back in their lifetimes. 2000 years later I know people who also believe that they will not die before seeing Christ return. Whether this will actually happen or not is out of our control but one thing we do know is that we do not get to keep this life. It is temporary.

So what do we do? How do we live less for the things of this life that will pass and more for that which is eternal? Well for starters we can encourage each other and build each other up. Christian living is not done as individuals but as a community, the body of believers. We can't do this on our own. We need help and we need encouragement. We need to lift each other up and strengthen each other. We need to support others when they need help so they can in turn be the support that we will inevitably need.

We need to pray together and worship together. We need to rejoice together and celebrate together. We need to be a community that can worship and fellowship together and to share our lives with each other fully. We need to read scripture and discuss theology with each other, sharing insights that we have and gleaning insight from each other. Scripture is meant to be read and studied in community. That way we can better determine what is of God and what isn't. I may get a lot out of reading scripture alone but I get more reading it in dialog with other believers.

We also need to serve together and strengthen and exhort each other to do the work of service. There is so much need here and our job as the body of believers, the hands and feet of Christ, is to do it.

The great news here is that, although it seems like much is asked of us and there is much to do we do not just have each other for support. We also lean heavily on Jesus. Jesus, who has endured and conquered all things, even death, can strengthen us to do likewise.