I have the awesome opportunity to be apart of leading a Campaigners group for the middle school kids out here every Thursday evening. As apart of that I get the great experience of sharing what the LORD has put on my heart every couple weeks. Much of what I say in these talks I’m saying to myself. I love doing these talks because they force me to dig deeper into God’s Word and really examine and dwell on it. I thought I might start sharing some of these talks on this blog in a YL talks category. Hopefully you who read this are able to take something away from my thoughts.
A few weeks ago I read through 1 Thessalonians 5:12-24 really stood out to me. I read in The Passion Translation (TPT) and loved the extra description and imagery this version uses. If you have the Bible app I’d recommend you follow along in that translation. I also reference verses throughout which I’d recommend you to look up.
I focused on the first 3 verses of this passage this week.
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 Your parents are your authority. God has placed them in power over you and God wants you to honor them. Your parents are working hard for you. They cherish you and are for you. Your parents provide everything for you: food, shelter, clothing, love, and guidance. Your parents also teach you how to live decently and civilly. Without our parents teaching and disciplining us we would all be selfish, impatient, rebellious, spoiled brats. It is our parents who teach us to be considerate, patient, respectful, altogether decent people. A child who recognizes the role of their parent is humbled; he recognizes that he needs the parent to live. In view of this; all that your parents have done, you should be glad to honor your parents and let peace reign. If you don’t honor your parents disorder, arguing, and frustration will reign. (Exodus 20:12)
God is our heavenly Father. He is in the highest place of authority. The Bible says that it will go well with those who honor God by keeping His commandments (Leviticus 26:3-4). The Bible says God is the giver of every good thing (James 1:17). Everything we have is from Him. Jesus said that the kingdom of God belongs to those that are like children. He doesn’t mean you can’t be mature, strong, and confident. All he means is that you must recognize that everything you have is from God. He wants you to recognize that everything you are: funny, hard working, strong, and all character traits are from Him. Even your negative traits such as insecurity, temper, lying, impurity, though from sin, God has allowed to show you your need for Him. God is infinitely greater than us and is in control of all. Despite your weakness, God cares about you. In humility you must accept this and rely on Him; turn to Him for guidance. Otherwise you will end up living a prideful, misguided, and ultimately meaningless life.
Verse 14 These verses bring warfare imagery to mind. And it is fitting. We are in a spiritual warfare every day. This calls to question where your place of battle is. Everyone’s place of battle is different. It is dependent on your calling from God. And I don’t necessarily mean your calling as in your future career. That is important and you must seek God’s will in that matter. But the calling I’m talking about is that of every day. What should you be doing every day? What do you think God wants you to do each day? This might be encouraging your sibling to spend time in the Word each day. It might be having a meaningful conversation each day. It might be simply looking for ways you can serve.
No matter what you feel called to, it’s important to distinguish what God is actually calling you to do and what you just want to do. To determine this you have to spend time with God: in prayer and in His Word. Even once you know what you should do I would encourage you to be in the Word. You cannot be in your place of battle effectively if you aren’t equipped for battle. You equip yourself for battle by spending time with Jesus and reading His Word. After all, His Word is the Sword of the Spirit as Ephesians 6:17 says.
One last thing regarding calling is this: God may not call you verbally or through placing a thought in your heart. That is possible, but more often calling is found through reading the Bible. Through reading the Bible we know it is all Christian’s calling to live in humble service, to live in unity with each other, and to spread the gospel. God is calling us to so much more in His Word. We just need to read it.
It’s important to instruct and encourage others to be in their place of battle. When someone has lost their way, you can show them the way back. If someone is hurting you can comfort them. If someone is neglecting time in the Bible you can encourage them. But it also says to demonstrate patience. When we instruct and encourage it must be in love and patience as Ephesians 4:15 says.
It’s also important to be cautious of instructing others if you yourself aren’t in your place of battle. Even if you mean well, people will regard this as hypocrisy and/or pridefulness. (Matthew 7:3-5)
But we aren’t called only to coach and help others. The verse says, “Be faithful to stand your ground.” When being barraged with temptations don’t take the easy way out and fall into sin. Imagine being on the front line of a war; bullets and explosions going everywhere. It might seem easier and maybe smarter to turn and flee. But ultimately that would put you in a worse place because the enemy is closer to victory. Giving in to sin always leads to worse places and a harder life (James 1:15 and Galatians 6:7-10). Oftentimes temptations may feel overpowering but God has promised that no temptation will come which is too tempting (1 Corinthians 10:13). So be faithful to stand your ground.
Family Time Questions:
Do you honor your parents (including your heavenly Father) like you should?
Are you glad to honor your parents? Why or why not?
What is your specific calling everyday? Are you in your place of battle?
Do you encourage others? In what manner do you encourage?
Where are you being attacked? Where do you need to faithfully stand your ground?
Encouragement/Advice
When your parents ask or request you to do something, stop what you are doing and do what they request with a smile.
Spend some time in the Word, in prayer, or just silence with Jesus to determine how God wants you to daily live.
Take the log out of your own eye before the speck in your brothers. Don’t be hypocritical.
Be faithful to stand your ground, for no temptation is too strong, and those who endure receive the crown of life (Read James 1:12)
After the talk we split up into boys and girls and have “Family Time” where we talk about how we are doing and answer some questions regarding the talk. Then I give them my encouragement for the week. I would encourage you to take some time to answer these questions for yourself and see if the answers are what you’d like them to be. If not, be encouraged to live these things out more fully through the power of the Holy Spirit. And be encouraged by God’s grace. God bless.
