November 131 Timothy 5 The church should care for widows, and the elders who lead the church should also receive respect. INSIGHTThere are those in the church who feel that they have the gift of confrontation, and others the gift of rebuke. While we may smile at this, there are indeed those who have an acute sense of justice, gravitating toward exhortational ministries. These people provide an important balance in the church, but they must be cautious to wield their words with truth and grace. Paul writes that we should “not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, the younger men as brothers, the older women as mothers, the younger as sisters, with all purity” (vv. 1-2). The point is that such ministries are always to be done in a spirit of grace, truth, and love. PRAYERBecause scriptural truth is intended to heal and strengthen us, we praise Him: Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin: Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord: As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord: |