Monday 17th March
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13
“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.” (NIVUK)
There is a well-known saying that ‘you have to earn respect’. Respect is not granted by virtue of a title on a door or a name-tag. Those who claim respect because of their status are held in disdain by most people. Paul would agree with the sentiment I suspect.
It seems that the elders in Thessalonica had admonished some members clumsily and they took offense. Perhaps around malingering brethren who decided to up stumps for the year and wait for Jesus, we can’t really know. Paul calls for respect. But it is not respect based on their position in the church ‘hierarchy’, it is respect based on the work they do in the church.
Our translations don’t quite capture just how strong Paul’s injunction is. Where we read ‘highest regard’ (v13) it is literally a triple positive, ‘beyond-exceedingly-abundantly’! If faith is expressed in works and leaders work hard then the respect with which they should be held by a church is, indeed, hard-earned and should be bestowed superlatively.
Danger lies in both directions – if a church does not respect their hard-working leaders, or if leaders believe they are owed respect because of their position. Pray for hard-working leaders and wise and gracious congregations!
