1 Thessalonians 5:14-15
Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.
Personal Challenge...
I cannot remember how many times I have found myself in the midst of a church family feeling lonely, overlooked, and looking for community. I admit that part of that falls upon me, but part also falls upon the church. I believe one are of deep brokenness in our church here in America is the lack of true community, true fellowship. And I believe a lot of this is due to our individualism and propensity to define the gospel that way that fits our own personal doctrine. One of the things that I sincerely appreciate in the Orthodox church is the focus on community. We believe our salvation is worked out in community. Even our prayers use collective petitions (us, we, our) versus individual ones (I, me, mine). Paul tells us in these verses to live our lives active in our church community...not as consumers, but as investors.
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