1 Thess 5:14    warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

                         

Christianity is very practical! This is one of those bits of Paul's letters where he drops in one after another of quick helpful practical guidelines. First: warn those who are idle. The Bible isn't keen on laziness. To Timothy he said, “ If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1 Tim 5:8). Work is for a purpose. Idleness is not a Christian virtue!

 

Encourage the timid. There are always those who need encouragement. If we can't think of anything else in serving the Lord, we can encourage others, thinking of things to build them up and strengthen them.

 

Help the weak. There are some people who are naturally weak and there are many of us who just go through times when we feel weak. When we feel weak we want understanding and help.

 

Be patient with everyone. People are people and they fall short of our expectations. We want them to get a move on and they don't. We need to learn to be patient with them.

Each of these is something that is dead simple to do. It just requires awareness of need, so today's thought should alert you to take careful note of the people round you who you can bless. Watch out for them.