In Paul’s concluding words to the church at Thessalonica, he is giving them instructions for how they are to live together in Christ. Their community of Christ included many different people–young, old, slaves, free, rich, poor. The instruction Paul gave them was to have respect and honor for those who worked among them and to ‘esteem them highly in love’. He goes on to give them specific ways they will be able to accomplish the will of the Lord. Showing respect for others helps us communicate.
Just as the church is a diverse community of believers, schools are often diverse communities of co-workers. While we may imagine the largest gap is between educators and students, the reality is there is often a wide age range between teachers and administrators. This can often hinder effective communication. Someone’s age and length of time in education can be a contributing factor to how willing (or unwilling) someone is to adopt new technologies. Paul’s instructions to the believers at Thessalonica are true for us today: respect those who labor among us and encourage the faint-hearted.
If you are adept at technology, perhaps the Lord will use you to encourage another with whom you are working. When we show respect to others, it always increases our ability to communicate. Whatever our situation, the Lord is with us, and it is by His strength that we will be successful in working with others.
After careful consideration, please answer the following questions.
- What challenges have you seen among people of different generations and the use of technology?
- How can you use the instructions in this passage to see the stakeholders of the school differently?
- What encouragement and challenge do you find personally in these verses?
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