Acknowledge The Work!

"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.Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other." (I Thessalonians 5: 12,13 NIV)

Many of us have often felt that the work we do in promoting the Gospel, encouraging others to live for the Lord, and warning and admonishing others when we see them out of the Will of God is a waste of time. We are criticized by unbelievers, isolated by some Believers who don't want to live right, and ostracized if we dare to speak God's Truth (not our own) and called hatemongers and belittled for our faith.

No one ever said that being a Believer would be easy--at least I hope they didn't. It is not easy, but it is rewarding. Once we make a decision to truly live for the Lord, we find out who our friends really are. If we say what God says and live the way God wants us to say, many of those who proclaimed to be friends are convicted by our lifestyles and when we speak truth according to God's Word. They think we are belittling them when all we are trying to do is to encourage them to be in position to receive God's best.

None of us are perfect and until the end comes (however it comes) we won't reach perfection. That truth does not mean we cannot continue to strive for perfection in our personal lives and certainly as an example for those we love. How can we say we love others if we don't warn them when they're headed in the wrong direction? This is what the "fair-weather Christians" don't understand. They are Christians when it is convenient or expedient as a status that uplifts them, but they either don't know what God said or don't want to know because admitting knowledge means they should change their course. These Christians only believe what they want to believe, when they want to believe and will go along-to-get-along as long as it makes them feel good about themselves.

That's the problem with most of society--the doing anything that makes them feel good. True Believers do what must be done--encouraging and correcting, and most of the time, what we do, doesn't feel good, but we act out of out obedience to Him who saved us, not those who scorn us.
Those on the outside of His love have no idea what life is like when on the inside of His love. We are His children and with Him, we can accomplish all things, to His glory!

For those who are as determined as I am to do what God puts on our hearts to do, know you are not alone and the reward that He has for us is greater than anything we could receive from people who don't know Him. Stay focused, determined and convinced of His love and His protection from all evil, doing all He has spoken to you. God loves you and only wants the best for you and all of our confidence should be in Him, not man (or woman) who has neither hell or heaven for us.

Let's continue to love and obey so peace will reign in our lives!