Making the Important Urgent – Part 3 – Be Gracious
- Priority 3 – Be Gracious I Thessalonians 2:7-11
7 But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:
8 So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.
9 For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.
10 Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:
11 As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,
As we continue these thoughts on making the important urgent, we come to our third Priority and that is to be gracious. What does it mean to be gracious? Paul is an example in these verses of what it means to be gracious! One must first be approachable and tender. They should care for others “as a nursing mother.” Paul showed that he cared for these folks and he dealt with them in their needs “as a father.”. Paul found that it was more important for him to build a relationship based on love and care than browbeat them for their sins.
The Gospel will pierce the soul of man – Remember the verse we already read from Hebrews Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit.” Paul did not have to do that personally.
Paul wanted these folks to know that it is God’s word that pierces the Hearts of man, while men should have compassion on others because we were once just like they were. John 13:34 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”
Paul also emphasized that we must be careful not to focus so much on the sin that we forget the needs of the sinner.
Finally, Paul knew the Urgency that the sinner needs to repent and be saved but understood the importance of building a relationship to make that happen.
As we align what is urgent with what is important, it is easier said than done when it comes to being gracious to people who we know are living in sin. We want to browbeat them into submission because we see the urgency of their souls dying in sin and going to hell. Yes, but without confronting them graciously, it becomes difficult, if not impossible, to have a positive impact on them. Let’s not focus on the urgent to the point where we neglect the important.