Jump Start # 927

1 Thessalonians 5:14 We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

Our verse today, near the end of 1 Thessalonians is a common characteristic of the apostle Paul. He often listed several things that the brethren needed to be engaged in and busy doing.  Here Paul listed four spiritual works: admonish, encourage, help, and patience. He also listed four different Christians: unruly, faint-hearted, weak and everyone.

What is interesting about this list is what is missing.

• Paul doesn’t explain how to do these things.
• Paul doesn’t explain why these people are this way,

The word “unruly” means out of rank or out of step. You’ve seen the marching band and everyone steps together—left foot, right foot, left foot. Here, when everyone is on the left foot, someone is on the right foot. They are out of step. They are unruly. They are not following the Bible way. They are undisciplined. They are rebels who do not want to conform fully to Christ. They need to be warned. Get back in step is the order.

The next expression is one I want to focus upon. Paul says to encourage the fainthearted. Some translations use the word “timid.” Timid reminds me of shy. Some are shy by nature. They would as soon lose a hand as stand up in front of a crowd and speak. Get a group together and you go around and everyone has to tell something about themselves. Some just nearly pass out from that. The word “faint hearted” literally means, “Little soul.” That sounds like a Indian name, like Running Bear, or Big Crow. Little soul. Paul said to encourage the little soul.

Things were tough in Thessalonica. Paul only stayed a few months and had to sneak out in the middle of the night. Jewish persecutors kept following him. Each place Paul went, they caused more trouble. Things barely got started in Thessalonica when the trouble came. Paul was so concerned about these new folks that he wrote this wonderful letter we call 1 Thessalonians. It was his first inspired book. It was to help those with “little souls.”

Some have a little soul because they just never got any depth spiritually. The parable of the sower describes some with shallow or little depth. The scorching sun dries them up and they wither away. Depth. Lowering the nets spiritually. Thinking big. Praying big. Digging deep into the Scriptures. Thinking about things. Using your mind to grasp things. This takes time. It takes work. Some never do it. They remain “little soul.” When trouble comes, the little souls are the first to be impacted by it. A death…a hardship…some ugliness…a spiritual hill to climb—it doesn’t take much and the little soul struggles. The little soul gets discouraged. The little soul quits. It’s too hard. It’s no longer fun. It’s not popular. It’s something.

Little souls need to be encouraged. They don’t need to be admonished. That goes to the unruly who are out of step. They need to be warned. The little souls need encouragement. They need to be built up. Air needs to blow into the sails. Encouragement isn’t flattery. Flattery is often superficial and after something. Flattery is like syrup on pancakes. A little tastes pretty good, but too much and they are ruined. Some pour on the syrup when it comes to flattery. Encouragement is spiritual based. It’s lasting, unlike flattery. It’s genuine and heartfelt. It’s only goal is to strengthen the little soul.

Little ones need to hold the hands of the big ones when they cross the street. Little minds will ask how to spell a certain word when they are doing homework. Little ones like to sit close to big ones. I have a special little on in our congregation. She is the daughter of our other preacher. She is the cutest thing ever. She can’t say my name very well but is always calling it out. She loves for me to hold her and I love to hold her. I hold her outside while I shake people’s hands. They don’t pay much attention to me when I’m holding my sweetie, as I call her. She’s fascinated with rain. We’ll stand on the edge of the overhang and hold our hands out just enough to let rain fall into our palms. The look in her eyes is absolute amazement. She’s a little one. Tender. Sweet. Kind. Curious. I wonder if that’s how Paul saw those “little souls” in Thessalonica. He loved them so much. He wanted them to make it.

Encourage them. Show them. Teach them. Spend time with them. Answer questions. Watch them grow. Those sweet souls with a little help will grow and be able to help others someday. Little souls don’t need harsh words, pointing fingers, judgmental looks. They are little. They are timid. They are fainthearted. They are a bit scared. Scared to stand for Jesus. Opposition was intense in that city. They needed a backbone. They needed conviction. The timid are much like a turtle that hides it’s head inside the shell. The scared turtle feels safe in the shell. There was a kids song many years ago that my children loved about a turtle. The song said, “You can’t make a turtle come out.” That’s what Paul was facing. Timid Christians. Scared Christians. Little soul Christians. Give them some encouragement and they will make it. They need the old veterans to help them. Younger preachers need to hear the stories of the older preachers. Not the funny stuff, but the tough stuff. They need to see that they can endure. Little soul Christians need the same. They need to be built up and told that others felt just like they did but they made it. Life can be scary, especially when you deal with co-workers or neighbors, or family members who like to get in your face because you are a Christian. Popping someone in the nose is not the Christian way, but neither is hiding in our shells. Stand up, stand up for Jesus is what we sing and it’s what we need to do. The world is forcing it’s dumb and wrong ideas upon us. Evolution, same-sex marriage, legalizing drugs, removing God’s name from things, immoral shows and music—that’s today for you and I. We can’t hide. We can’t run. We need backbone. We need wind in our sails. We need encouragement. We need not be a little soul.

One of the best ways we do this is through our connections with each other. We help each other. We remind each other. We pray for each other. Alone, we are a mess. Alone, we are lunch for the lion. But together, we are the army of the most High God. Together, we are marching to Zion. Together, we shall prevail.

You may have little souls in your home. You most likely have some in the congregation. Do what you can to encourage them. That’s what God wants you to do. Make sure you don’t lose the little ones.

Roger