Find Good Spiritual Coaches and Leaders

Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord's work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other.

1 Thessalonians 5:12

Almost nine years ago I picked up a new sport, the throwing events of track and field. When I first began, I had a rudimentary idea of how to throw the discus and put the shot. The javelin, hammer, and the weight throw were complete mysteries to me.

I was such a novice that at the first meet I entered I needed to borrow a javelin to compete.

Then after my second throw, a couple of contestants reached out to me. One of them said, "You know you threw that last one backwards?" (That's tail first instead of point first.)

"Why didn't you stop me?”

"We thought you were on to something."

I laughed. Then I confessed. This was my first competition, and I had no idea what I was doing.

Since that first track meet, I have wandered around the throws community, getting coaching wherever I could. Gradually, I learned some techniques—the language of throwing— and repeated them enough times to imprint the movements on my muscle memory.

This is the message that Paul is trying to convey to the community at Thessalonica. He writes, "Honor those who are your leaders in the Lord's work." (v. 12) Good leaders show us how we are to act. They coach us and teach us the language of love, faith, and service to others. Their behavior and ours should set us apart from those around us who do not believe. This was true in Thessalonica, and it is true today.

Our communities need to learn how to follow the way of Jesus. Warn the lazy, encourage the timid, care for those who are weak, and be patient with everyone.

Over the past few years of throwing, I developed some bad technique based on poor information. Either I received poor instruction or I interpreted the instruction incorrectly. Regardless of how I developed these bad habits, I have to put in concentrated effort over time to correct and retrain myself. It's difficult to undo what has already been committed to muscle memory.

Paul reminds us, test everything that is said. “Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil" (v. 21, 22). With good spiritual coaches and leaders, we will learn to train ourselves with a true understanding of Jesus as the Christ.

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: To whom do you turn for spiritual guidance? What is your process for discerning spiritual truth? How do you “honor those who are your leaders in the Lord's work”?

PRAYER: Father, give me the right heart to pray as Jesus did, “O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them” (John 17:25–26).

Grant me wisdom to stay true to the course you set for me. Let me not blindly accept what I hear, but help me to test everything and to hold on to what is good. Amen.

P.S. by Mark Roberts: At certain times throughout the year, I invite others to write a few Daily Reflections. This gives me a bit of a breather and it allows you to hear God's truth from a variety of voices. This week's reflections will be written by Dan Roloff. Dan is a good friend and trusted colleague at Foundations for Laity Renewal, where he is our editorial director. Dan has a deep Christian faith and a delightful sense of humor. I'm pleased to have him write the reflections for this week, focusing on Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians. I'll be back with you on Saturday.

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