Peace // 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13

By Mark Jordan

Today’s verse encourages people to honor their spiritual leaders. I love and laugh with how it states that living in peace is essentially the key to doing this. Let’s face it, there is a crisis of leadership in our culture. People are cynical, and as a result, criticisms arise. This takes me back to the Exodus journey as Moses and Aaron led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. The people complained practically all the way about practically every thing. This led Moses to say, as recorded in Exodus 16:8, “Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.” Learning to live in peace with each other — spiritual leaders included — means we remember to honor not just our leaders, but the ones God installed to lead. Learning to live in peace with each other helps us share peace with our leaders, honoring the peace God won for us in Jesus!