I've been going through 1 Thessalonians devotionally. This morning I came across verse 11:
"As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children."
These Thessalonians believers were the converts of Paul, Timothy and Silvanus. As a result, they were responsible for the nurture of their spiritual children "as a father does his children." Of course I would have expected Paul (the apostle) to "exhort" and "charge" them. After all, he held an ecclesiastical office of authority- he was an apostle. But to "comfort" them was to go beyond his apostolic duty and care for them as individuals.
I wonder if I am sometimes so heavenly minded that I am no earthly good. Though I always hope to keep eternity in view, to focus on heavenly things to the neglect of those with earthly needs is both hypocritical and counterproductive. Comforting is just as much a responsibility of a minister as exhortation and instruction are. After all, the Bible calls God, "the God of all Comfort." Being heavenly minded and being earthly good: both of these are good things. There must be a medium between the two.
Human beings have the tendency to study and talk about God without truly being focused upon Him. The truth is, if I am truly focusing on God and becoming more like Him then I will, by default, care more for those in need of comfort.
Let's forget about ourselves and concentrate on Him and worship Him.
