ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER

“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.”  (Hebrews 10:24-25 NLT)

Do you need encouragement right now? My best advice to you is to go encourage someone else. Are you caught up in your own needs? Go fill the needs of others. You’ll reap what you sow, and the love you give will return to you.

But some people have actually told me, “I don’t know anyone who needs encouragement.” Would you like to know the best place to find them? In your church.

Fred Smith, a businessman, asked a church usher about his responsibilities. The man said, “Nothing more than being there, shaking hands, finding my place in the aisle, taking the offering, and showing up for an occasional ushers meeting.” Smith thought this didn’t sound very biblical, but he observed in the conversation that this man had a passion about the ministry of hospitality. So many people come to church filled with cares and anxiety, the usher had noticed, and they need a warm handshake, a listening ear, perhaps a hug. The man found his place to serve God quietly but profoundly.

This weekend, make it a project to go to church simply as an encourager. Ask God to direct your steps to someone who needs a dose of love. 

-- David Jeremiah in “Keep the Faith: How to Stand Strong in a World Turned Upside Down”

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A SERIOUS CONCERN

In his first letter to the church at Corinth, the Apostle Paul says (in Eugene Peterson's translation The Message): "I have a serious concern to bring up with you, my friends, using the authority of Jesus, our Master. I'll put it as urgently as I can: You must get along with each other. You must learn to be considerate of one another, cultivating a life in common." (I Corinthians 1:10)…

We live in a time when there are too many conflicts, too little cooperation, and too few people who are willing to get along. Simple courtesy, the ability to compromise, and the willingness to think of the larger good -- those things seem to be in short supply. We are reaching the point where the very social fabric is coming unraveled…

I suggest the following steps for each of us and all of us to take:

1. Start by saying "I could be wrong" when expressing your opinions. That simple caveat allows room for the other person to have a different opinion. And it is also the truth – we may well be wrong, even when we have a strong opinion.

2. Practice stating opposing opinions without labeling or cynicism. The ability to explain positions with which we disagree means that we have truly listened and learned. It also makes it more likely that we will convince others to consider our opinions.

3. Agree to disagree without becoming disagreeable. There is nothing which says we must always agree, but our disagreeing can be civil and polite.

4. Don't go thermo-nuclear on every issue. Most issues are not ultimate, so don't ramp up the rhetoric on every little thing.

5. Allow God to speak for Himself and don't presume God agrees with you on every one of your opinions.

Will these five steps eliminate all of the divisions and violence in our society and all the divisions in our churches? Of course not. But we must start somewhere. As the Apostle Paul says, "We must get along with each other." We must. 

-- U.M. Bishop Mike Coyner (1949-2020)

DAILY RENEWAL

"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV)

To prepare for flight, the eagle spends an hour each day preening its feathers.  Perched high on a rock, the eagle methodically passes each feather, up to 1200 in all, through its mouth and breathes on each one.  This action produces a similar effect to steam cleaning.  Once the feathers are restored, the eagle is ready to soar through the sky.

The eagle also has a gland that secretes an oily liquid, making its feathers waterproof.  When it rains or the bird dives into water after prey, the eagle's feathers do not become heavy with water or endanger its ability to fly.

We, too, must renew ourselves daily before the Lord or we will become "grounded."  Without those necessary "quiet times," cares and concerns bring on anxieties and fears that slow us down.  We take on burdens we were never meant to carry... Worry comes from natural concerns that are part of our lives.  But when these legitimate concerns are handled wrongly, they dominate our lives.  Worry can make us forget that our caring God is in control and cause us to wonder about our future, over which we have no control.

Renewing ourselves is a daily process just as it is for the eagle.

-- Sheryl Lynn Hill in “Soar as the Eagle”

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LEAVE THE FUTURE TO GOD

Jesus said, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  (Matthew 6:34 NIV)

It has been well said that no [one] ever sank under the burden of the day. It is when tomorrow’s burden is added to the burden of today that the weight is more than [one] can bear. Never load yourselves so, my friends. If you find yourselves so loaded, at least remember this: it is your own doing, not God’s. He begs you to leave the future to Him and mind the present.

-- George MacDonald in “Annals of a Quiet Neighbourhood”

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FAITH IN A CARING GOD

"Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully." [Psalm 55:22 Amplified]

It's not hard to have faith when all of our bills are being paid and our kids are healthy and our marriage is intact. It's not hard to have faith when God gives us everything we want. The true test of faith comes when circumstances are difficult, when our train of hope gets derailed.

-- Max Lucado

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