The Blessing God Intended

“We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work.”

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 ESV

 

Many of us, specifically here in the United States, have an extreme libertarian mindset. We believe that we can and should be completely independent, free of any guidance and oversight. In fact, we tend to buck any authority that is placed over us.

 

This is often true within the church, as well. Many of us, as believers, do not believe we need any oversight. We do not believe we need anyone to teach us. And we do not believe we need any accountability whatsoever.

 

I remember being told by a church member, long ago, that Christians ideally need no pastors. He seemed to believe that they are only necessary as a majority of Christians do not engage with the Word of God as they should, nor serve as they are called. This, however, contradicts the clear teaching of Scripture.

 

We are told, quite plainly, that pastors are God’s gift to the church (Ephesians 4:11). They’re given to equip the saints for the work of ministry and for the building up of the body of Christ. And this tells us that they are, in fact, good and necessary.

 

In the above passage, Paul calls on the church to respect those who labor among them, who are over them in the Lord, and who admonish them. They were to esteem these leaders very highly in love because of their work. They were to be esteemed not because of who they were, but because of what they did. After all, according to Jesus, those who are greatest in the kingdom of God are those who serve (Matthew 23:11).

 

I realize that, because I’m a pastor, this may seem rather self-serving. But this isn’t a case of someone in authority telling those under his authority to submit. This is true for all of us, even pastors.

 

Even we need those whom God has placed over us, who admonish us, and who labor among us. We need the encouragement given to us by others who are servant leaders. And we need to be continually equipped, as we continue in our service.

 

For this reason, we must not buck those who are over us in the Lord. We must not think of them as unnecessary. We’re, instead, to receive them as a blessing of God.