Honoring our leaders, and being at peace

“Now also we beseech you, brethren, get to know those who labor among you [recognize them for what they are, acknowledge and appreciate and respect them all]–your leaders who are over you in the Lord and those who warn and kindly reprove and exhort you. And hold them in very high and most affectionate esteem in [intelligent and sympathetic] appreciation of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.” We should honor and hold in the highest regard those leaders who warn and kindly reprove and exhort us. Giving honor where honor is due goes right alone with this text today. Getting to know those who are our spiritual leaders is important. To imitate those who are truly following Jesus is great until you come into your own understanding, and revelations about the ways of God. Giving thanks and admonishment to the Lord for our elders in Christ helps keep us humble. With great knowledge comes the possibility of thorns in the flesh (2Corinthians 12:7-9). From time to time reaching out to those that pretty much held our hand growing in the things of God, is proper protocol in our maturing process. There are no great people in this world that can honestly say I made it to the top all by myself. The main goal here is to live in peace with each other. Always preferring our brother or sister before ourselves, putting our own plans second, especially in those moments where your gifting or talents are needed. To live in peace with each other many times requires supernatural understanding, but we have the mind of Christ (1Corinthins 2:16).