ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER - sounds simple. Sadly, professing Christians today often don't understand what this means if we are to discern by the posts we see in CC. Hint: It doesn't mean argue, demean others, or behave arrogantly but does include the quality of humility.
Years ago I was guilty of reading the accounts of the early Christian church in the New Testament and relegating the stories to history, explaining away any obligation on my part to be a contributing part of the community of believers as being the pastors’ and Sunday School teachers’ jobs in modern America. It took a while to sink in and I’m sure that was partly due to my own mindset of not wanting to speak. Eventually, what these scriptures say became so obvious to me that I could no longer brush them off as not relevant to me.
Romans 14:19 (NAS) “So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.”
1 Thessalonians 5:11(NAS) “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”
But the one that really made me uncomfortable was this one: Hebrews 13:16 (CJB) “And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
Communication is a sacrifice – share with one another – edify and encourage one another. I can say from experience, that hearing first-hand accounts of God working in someone’s life makes a bigger impression than simply hearing scripture quoted. Once aware of the fact of this matter, I no longer have the option of not sharing what I have learned and testimonies of how God worked in my family, as we are told in
Acts 17:30 (CJB) “In the past, God overlooked such ignorance; but now he is commanding all people everywhere to turn to him from their sins.” And He graciously spells out exactly what it is when we ignore the right thing –
James 4:17 (CJB) “So then, anyone who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it is committing a sin.”
So much for being a “quiet Christian.”
Years ago I was guilty of reading the accounts of the early Christian church in the New Testament and relegating the stories to history, explaining away any obligation on my part to be a contributing part of the community of believers as being the pastors’ and Sunday School teachers’ jobs in modern America. It took a while to sink in and I’m sure that was partly due to my own mindset of not wanting to speak. Eventually, what these scriptures say became so obvious to me that I could no longer brush them off as not relevant to me.
Romans 14:19 (NAS) “So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.”
1 Thessalonians 5:11(NAS) “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”
But the one that really made me uncomfortable was this one: Hebrews 13:16 (CJB) “And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
Communication is a sacrifice – share with one another – edify and encourage one another. I can say from experience, that hearing first-hand accounts of God working in someone’s life makes a bigger impression than simply hearing scripture quoted. Once aware of the fact of this matter, I no longer have the option of not sharing what I have learned and testimonies of how God worked in my family, as we are told in
Acts 17:30 (CJB) “In the past, God overlooked such ignorance; but now he is commanding all people everywhere to turn to him from their sins.” And He graciously spells out exactly what it is when we ignore the right thing –
James 4:17 (CJB) “So then, anyone who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it is committing a sin.”
So much for being a “quiet Christian.”
