Jump Start # 1661

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

  In this one simple verse, the apostle Paul identifies the makeup of most congregations. There are four different states listed. They are not the same, nor do they demand the same response. Some are unruly, which means that they are rebellious, or out of step with everyone else. Some are fainthearted, which tends to be worrisome, unsure and lacking confidence. Some are weak, which implies that they cannot stand on their own. And, not listed here, but obviously intended, some are strong. Who else is going to help these other three groups than the strong. The fainthearted can’t help the unruly. The unruly is not going to help the weak. It is the strong that take on the role of trying to change the spiritual condition of the others.

Our thoughts today are upon the weak. Help the weak. This, as with the other words in this verse, is talking about a spiritual condition. Some have a weak heart. Others have a weak back. That’s not the thought here. It is weak spiritually. The weak spiritually struggle to resist temptation. The weak spiritually lack the spiritual fiber to stand on their own. You wouldn’t find the weak standing up to the Babylonian king in Daniel 3. No, the weak would have bowed down with everyone else. You would not find the weak defying the king’s order against praying as Daniel did. The weak would have stopped praying. And in Acts, when Peter was told to stop preaching, the weak would have stopped. Peter didn’t.

Help the weak. They need help in being guided spiritually. They tend to make easy choices, rather than the right choices. They tend to make decisions without considering the spiritual side of things. They choose a college without thinking about what their major will do to their faith or whether there is a congregation in the area. They will marry without even thinking about the spiritual side of things. The weak struggle with their attendance. They lack Bible knowledge. They are easily influenced by the wrong people and the wrong books because they do not recognize error nor dangers. The weak need help.

In those shows on TV that are filmed from Africa, the lion preys upon the weak. The strong are fast and watchful and can get away from the lion’s attack. It’s the old, the young, the sickly, the weak that become the lion’s lunch.

Here are some obvious thoughts about helping the weak.

1. The weak cannot help the weak. That doesn’t work. A weak, skinny guy in the gym can’t spot another weak, skinny guy who is trying to lift weights. That’s a sure disaster. The weak will give wrong advice. The weak are not a good example. The weak need help. They are not in the positon to help.

2. Every strong person started out weak. We all have been weak at one time. Some moved on and grew stronger. Others have remained weak their entire life. We all start at the same place. No one starts strong. We begin as babes in Christ. Many of us have had a huge upside advantage. We have been going to Bible classes and have surrounded ourselves with quality people because of our parents. That helped up immensely. Yet, we still had to learn and learn and learn. Everyone does. The strong can understand the weak, because the strong once was weak himself. The weak may never understand the strong.

3. The process of moving from weak to strong takes time. There isn’t just one thing or one lesson or one class that will do it. Like going to school, college isn’t possible without high school. Grade school is necessary for high school. One can’t write a college paper, until one first knows how to write. One can’t write until he first knows how to spell. One must learn the alphabet to spell. Education is a process or a journey. It is the same spiritually. Concepts and principles come after certain basics are understood. All of this takes time. Here in lies the problem. The weak often miss out. Because they are weak, they do not attend like they ought to. They get bits and pieces but not enough to move them out of the weak stage. They don’t understand nor have the internal motivation or drive to get there all the time. Imagine a student in school who comes about once or twice a month. He never gets it. It’s always a mystery to him. Certainly, because he needs to get all of the lessons so he can move on in depth.

This is where leaders of God’s church must put some serious thoughts into what must be done. Simply offering more and more classes at the church building seems great on paper, but if folks don’t come to all the classes, then the goal isn’t accomplished. It may be that the classes must be taken to the homes. Instead of hoping that the weak come, go to the weak.

A church full of weak members is nothing to brag about. The problems and troubles that come with being weak are many. There are a lot of messes that the weak get into. Powerful congregations have learned how to help the weak. Laying on guilt generally isn’t effective. The weak need attention. The weak need caring hearts that will be patient with them.

Help the weak. Help the weak become strong. Help the weak to someday be in the position to help others.

Help…can you do that?

Roger