14 And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
The actions mentioned here in this verse go against our cultural norms. They are counter to what we see portrayed in the movies and in our daily lives. We don’t warn the idle, we give them a handout. We don’t encourage the timid, we just run them over and ignore them. We step on the weak. And we are impatient with everyone. This last one, being patient with everyone, is the hardest for me personally. I have caught the impatient bug. I find myself pushing through life, sidelining anyone who gets in my way. I move through crowds with a calculating step trying to get through just as fast as possible. I push through lines at the checkouts wondering if I ought to shift lines in mid-wait because mine seems to be taking forever. When I am slowed in my pursuit, I get angry and I feel the tension rising inside me. “Why did they do that to me?” It becomes a personal assault on me. Of course it isn’t personal, but that doesn’t stop my mind from going there. Have you ever felt impatient? If you haven’t, you probably are not human. And if you aren’t human, would you please email so we can meet! I will bring my camera so that I can get some good pictures for the cover of my new book, “Encounters of the Fourth Kind: The Bliss of Non-Temptation.” Notice the progressions. The Idle, timid, weak, and everyone. Warn, encourage, help, and be patient. The first set is the object of the second set. We do the second set to the first set. Warn, encourage, help, and be patient. If our lives were filled with these, our lives would be at peace with the Lord and with each other. Warn, encourage, help, and be patient. Do this today!
The Arnold Journey 