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. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

It is funny how much of life seems to relate to team sports for me. When I played football, I had a teammate who was also big like me, on the offensive line. He told me one day that if, in practice, he swore at me and called me names, he was just getting himself pumped up and not to take it personally. I laughed inside a bit, because I never needed to let anger dictate my play on the field. Over time, it seemed like his play was erratic. I think he relied on his trumped-up anger more than putting in the hard work to train his body — working hard in the drills and weight-lifting activities to prepare himself for a great performance in the game. In the end, when game time came, his performance was erratic. He could not be relied upon to play consistently good football. He was up and down as his anger went. And more talk than work.

I have known many people who could talk a good talk. They brag about their Bible seminary degrees, their heritage in the faith, or their knowledge of Latin and Greek to dissect each word’s meaning with precision. While these are all good skills, it requires actual boots-on-the-ground ministry in the world to gain the trial-tested faith that God highly values like refined gold (I Peter 1:6-7).

So Paul instructs the Thessalonians to value those leaders who work hard in the faith the most. (The implication here is that there were some who tried to lure them away from focusing on the work of the ministry). And those who they value, they should follow after them — do the boots-on-the-ground ministry work in the field that loves on people. 

What does this look like? It looks like this: 1) Rebuke or admonish those who are idle or disruptive, call them to change and be active in true faith. 2) Encourage the disheartened. Instead of judging them in the “valley of the shadow of death”, empathize, listen, pray for them, and encourage them.  3) Help those who are weak.  Don’t give up on them. God never gives up on us. Everyone has a potential for salvation and heart change at any time. 4) Be patient with everyone. When frustrated or angry, step back, gain a godly perspective through prayer, and then act righteously, in spite of our feelings. 5) Live at peace with everyone. Don’t make mountains out of molehills. Be gracious.

Thank you, Lord, for this reminder that you do not reward heady knowledge of you, but only hard work in submission to your will. The least learned among us in schooling, can have the biggest spiritual impact by just simply doing your work. Such a timeless truth!