Godly advice for a future harvest

Sometimes,
I'm just in need
of some good ol' advice.

Not deep spiritual wisdom,
but honest, common sense
type advice.

And that's what I love about
the writing of Paul.

They were letters written
to the people he met
on his travels, whom he wanted
to continue to encourage.
He knew their struggles in life
because he had met the same people
they lived near. He had been
persecuted, beaten and imprisoned
by those very same difficult people.

So when he wrote,
his advice was spot on,
an arrow directed
to the target of their hearts.

Simple sentences, spoken clearly
as if he was right there
still living among them.
And his advice is still current
for our lives today...
this most basic daily advice.

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.

I think we are capable of this.
Honoring... showing esteem
and understanding to those
who serve in leadership and
worship within our church.

And live peacefully with each other.

Brothers and sisters, we urge you to
warn those who are lazy.
Encourage those who are timid.
Take tender care of
those who are weak.
Be patient with everyone.

This to be certain, a much larger
list to accomplish.
But I believe it's giving us good
direction with specific action steps
we can take in order to attain
the peace we long for deep
within our soul.

See that no one pays back evil for evil,
but always try to do good to
each other and to all people.

This, to be sure sounds obvious.
But on that day when anger rises,
much harder to live out in action.
This is best to tackle first with prayer,
asking God...
to gird us with strength,
to keep our lips from wrong words,
to direct our path away from
temptation.

Always be joyful.
Never stop praying.
Be thankful in all circumstances, 
for this is God’s will for you 
who belong to Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:12-18

And this certainly the best advice
Paul has given us...
prayer wraps up the package with
a tidy bow of trusting in God.

Let us therefore trust fully in Him,
joyfully knowing that He
has a plan for us, and
thanking Him, even... I know...
for the difficult, as well as the easy.
And then waiting in the middle.

It seems, as I look back over it all,
Paul has woven together
many of the fruits of the Spirit
into these tidbits of truth.
I wonder if he wasn't just trying
to help us put them into action
by giving us right advice?

How convenient is that?
Good and godly advice
that grows a harvest of fruit
to nourish us for the future.

Word of God
train me today...
To honor those whom You have placed
in my life to spiritually lead me.

To live peacefully with all people;
to never stop praying, and to be thankful
that You have a plan and a purpose for my life.