It Just Might Change Someone’s Day . . . and Yours!
I was reading in Hebrews recently and came across this passage in chapter 3:12-13:
12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. (emphasis mine)
The Jewish people that Jesus was addressing in His message were all too familiar with oppression, discrimination, cultural division, and feeling like they had no hope.
Our current cultural climate is full of oppression, discrimination, division, and political unrest. On many days, it may seem like there is not a lot of hope for peace. Take a breather, this is nothing new. The Scriptures are filled with times, places, cultures, and nations that were filled with such themes and God always has come through; but not without employing us to be a part of the change to bring hope and peace.
The writer of Hebrews offers up, “But encourage one another daily,” in verse 13 as a way to fight for living purposefully. To put it more succinctly, We must not only know what to believe; we must understand how to build hope and peace.
So, with that in mind, who can you call, e-mail or text right now just to encourage them in their faith and their walk with God? HOLD ON – if a name (or names) popped into your head, then pause and do it right now. Seriously – I can promise you there are not many people on the planet that do not need a good dose of encouragement right now.
“But what if I am the one who needs to be encouraged?” you might be asking. I get it! I’ve been EXACTLY where you are…
However…I can promise you that THE BEST THING you can do if you need encouragement is to give it, just like Jesus did on that Judean hill to a group of downtrodden, hopeless people who needed a purpose and a life of peace.
So–let’s do this! Contact one person ASAP for the purpose of encouraging them. It will make a difference in their life…and your’s as well.
Pastor Donnie