Encourage one another every day

Hebrews 3:13 (NIV)

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. 

I Thessalonians 5:11 (NASB)

Therefore, encourage one another, and build up one another…..

We have this huge contradiction--how important it is that people feel encouraged, that being encouraged is one of the best things that can ever happen to us, how much is written (and commanded) in Scripture about the importance and power of encouragement.  Encouraging one another is the main biblical reason why we attend church (Hebrews 10:25)!  YET, so few people feel encouraged and so few people offer encouragement to others and, in fact, much of what is said between one person and another borders more being discouraging than encouraging!

The lack of encouragement in our society is an epidemic.  When was the last time that someone offered you encouragement?  When was the last time that you offered encouragement?  We are fallen human beings!  We tend to discourage more than encourage either directly through words or actions or indirectly by not saying or doing anything.  We concentrate on others’ weaknesses and faults rather than their strengths.  We tend to want to tear others down rather than build up. 

Encourage means to inspire with confidence; to stimulate to action by assisting and supporting; to make another feel special, to transmit trust, to challenge another to be the best he or she can be.  The Greek word for encourage means to help, to comfort, to set free so that a person can move forward and realize his or her potential. God has commanded His people through the Scriptures to encourage one another:  Encouragement is mentioned 63 times in Scripture, two of which are listed above. 

Words of encouragement:

·  Should be intentional as Barnabas’ intentional encouragement of Paul that can be read in several places in the book of Acts (e.g. Acts 9:26-27).

·  Should be timely and on the mark—Proverbs 25:11*

·  Should not be withheld…..follow the commands of Hebews 3:13 and I Thessalonians 5:11.

Are you an encourager?  Do you want to become a greater encourager?  Criticism, condemnation, sarcasm, humiliation, hostility, pity, ridicule, shame - come so naturally to our lips.  But how about encouragement?   Do you encourage your children or grandchildren, your spouse, your friends, neighbors, and co-workers, and your brothers and sisters in Christ?  Do your best to encourage someone every day for the rest of your life.  And see if not such encouragement comes back to you.

“Kind words can be short and easy, but their echoes are truly endless” -- Mother Teresa

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* I will never forget a man sharing with me years after the fact that I had written him a thank you letter for what a great influence he had been to my two sons as their golf teacher.  He told me that at the time he received my letter he was contemplating suicide because he felt that his life was meaningless (he was not a believer then).  He claimed that my letter was so encouraging to him that he gave up the thought of suicide and decided to change the course of his life.  Words of encouragement can save a life…..literally!     

The spirit is willing, but flesh is weak

Mark 14:38 (NASB)

“Keep watching and praying, that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Jesus had brought His disciples to the garden of Gethesame, then took His closest disciples, Peter, James, and John, to some other location in the garden where He demonstrated His humanity by admitting how distressed and troubled He was.  He then asked these three to keep watch while He went alone to pray and asked His Father that He not have to go through what was about to happen.  Imagine having this very troubled and grief-stricken mindset, bearing the weight of all sins of all mankind, then returning to where He had left His three closest friends on earth and there they were sleeping.  Jesus, in disbelief and probably frustrated, asked Peter if he was really asleep, and, if so, could he not keep watch for one hour?! (Mark 14:37).  Jesus then admonished His three disciples, telling them to keep watching and keep praying so that they would not come into temptation.

What was He really saying to them?  He recognized that these weak men were unaware of what was going to happen even though He had told them.  He needed them to stand by Him and they instead gave into the weakness of the physical body and human nature—the flesh---and fell asleep.  Jesus closest friends were apathetic about the burdens of their Lord and the evil about to happen.  The word for temptation that Jesus used means “a trial of man’s fidelity, integrity, virtue, and constancy”.  To avoid such trials, they need to keep watching (e.g. read I Peter 5:8) and keep praying (Ephesians 6:18). 

The disciples intended to support their Lord in any way possible; in fact Peter had just boasted that he would never deny Jesus as his Lord (Mark 14:29).  Yet, while his spirit was willing, his flesh was weak as Jesus’ prediction about Peter denying Him came true.  Many people dream of accomplishing big things in their lives, yet the effort it takes requires too much work and discipline and those dreams are never achieved.  I publish a lot in my scientific profession and I’m always asking younger colleagues if they would like to write something with me.  They imagine the “glory” of seeing their names in print and quickly agree to write with me, but most never find the time nor discipline to complete the writing assignment.  The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.  We desire to live our lives as perfectly as possible and wish that we would never commit another sin, yet we fail.  We desire to stop whatever addiction we have (alcohol, drugs, sex, pornography, the job, materialism, etc), yet we cannot.  We desire to discipline our lives to eat right, exercise, get plenty of sleep, yet we fail.  The spirit is willing, the flesh is weak.

So how do you overcome this idiom of the spirit being willing, but the flesh being weak?  Well, on one hand you cannot, because it is truth.  The spirit is always stronger than the flesh, our thoughts/desires/dreams will always be stronger than our actual physical capabilities.  It is important to realize this (“be on the alert”) and to confront it directly with discipline backed by obedience to the Word of God and to prayer.  With the Spirit of God strengthening you, you can overcome any weakness, but you must remain close to Him or you will fail.  When you develop a mindset—again through disciplined study, prayer, and obedience—to put the Spirit of God first in your life, you will overcome the weakness, the desires, and the limitations of the flesh.

What must you do to overcome the weaknesses of your life and to carry out the will of God for your life?  Remember: “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

God whispers to your heart........

Isaiah 30:18-21 (NASB)

Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you.  And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice.  How blessed are all those who long for Him.  O people in Zion, inhabitant in Jerusalem, you will weep no longer. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you.  Although the Lord has given you bread of privation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher. Your ears will hear a word behind you, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left.

Much of the book of Isaiah is prophecy concerning the future of the Jewish nation (“people of Zion”).  However, Isaiah speaks to individuals too, anyone who believes in the God of the Bible.  What caught my eye and heart in reading this passage was verse 21 that speaks of God’s voice speaking to me to guide me to make right decisions/choices.  Imagine the Lord Himself speaking to you every day, giving you advice, guidance, instruction, whatever you need to make right decisions.  What this says to me is that whatever decision I make---turn to the right or to the left---either God will clearly give me the insight to turn the right direction or, if I don’t, He will speak to me clearly to tell me that the turn I want to make is not the right turn for my life.

Think about how reassuring this truth is……….with God behind you and whispering into your heart what to do, you cannot make wrong decisions nor be outside the will of God.  So whatever you are doing and wherever you are right now, you can enjoy enormous peace of mind because you are where God wants you to be and doing what God wants you to do.  At times this may not make sense to you, your life may seem full of drudgery and lack of purpose, but rest assured that God is there with you and giving you all of His grace and compassion. 

Now, indeed, there is a condition for your assurance that God is guiding you and enabling you to make all the right decisions.  What is that condition?  You must “long for” Him.  The Hebrew word used here is “chakah”, meaning “to wait”.  Psalm 33:20 reads “Our soul “chakah” for the Lord; He is our help and our shield”.  On the other hand the word is used in Psalm 106:13 where the writer laments that people did not wait for His counsel and soon forgot Him.  So the idea expressed by the word “chakah” is that you must exhibit faith that is willing to wait for the Lord to act, to speak, to answer your prayers and while waiting you keep growing in your trust in Him.  Oh, indeed, how difficult this is for us impatient and impertinent human beings.  Yet, be reminded again and again that our ways and thoughts are not His ways and thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9) and for you to benefit from His divine guidance, you must trust in His ways rather than your own.    

God’s timing is perfect if only you can believe and practice this truth (read Psalm 27:14).  Waiting and longing for the Lord brings Him honor and gives you peace of heart and mind because you have resolved in your heart and the rest of your life’s journey to trust Him to direct you.  Such trust does not happen overnight.  Try praying to Him every morning and throughout the day, simply asking Him to help you “trust in Him with all of your heart” and not worry about explaining or understanding what is happening or not happening to you (Proverbs 3:5).

Jesus: "Apart from Me you can do nothing"

John 15:4-5 (NLT)

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you.  For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in Me.  Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches.  Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit.  For apart from Me you can do nothing.”

I rededicated my life to Christ when I was 28 years old.  I had not attended church in nearly 10 years, but after moving to Fort Worth, Texas, with two small sons at the time, I made a decision to have God part of my life and the lives of my family.  We started attended a church near Texas Christian University and liked it enough to join it.  They had a new members dinner where each new member single or couple were picked up and taken to the dinner by a couple who were already members.  The woman of the couple who picked us up was the teacher of a college and young adult group and she asked me if I’d like to take her place as the teacher.  I’ve always found it remarkable that without hesitation I said “yes” and always felt that it was the Holy Spirit speaking through me, not my own human nature.  At that time I did not even have a Bible and here I was agreeing to teach young people, many of whom I quickly learned were studying to be full time clergy in the church. 

The students quickly saw that I was totally unprepared to lead them.  Yet, rather than reject me, they considered me “a project”.  When I started interacting with them, they allowed me to stumble through teaching on Sunday mornings while on Sunday evenings, one of them, Jesse Northcutt, who I thought had a young Billy Graham voice, was already teaching a study from the gospel of John.  I’ll never forget one of the first evenings that I was with them, listening to Jesse teach, that we studied John 15.  I was stunned by verse 5 where Jesus made the statement, “For apart (or without) Me, you can do nothing”. 

I remembered my disbelief at this statement.  Here I was 28, accomplished in many ways--nice family, nice new house, PhD degree, great job, etc—and here’s this claim that without Jesus I can do nothing.  I remember thinking that maybe this Christianity stuff wasn’t to be believed and maybe I didn’t belong.  But, again, the Lord used those students to help me understand better what this verse (and many others in the Bible) really meant. 

Jesus is talking about spiritual growth both individually and collectively.  Spiritual growth begins individually, then continues collectively through the bearing of spiritual fruit.  Spiritual fruit is making a difference in not only in the way you live your own life, but also especially in making a difference in others’ lives, as many as those who enter your life (all family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, anyone).

The bottom line to remember always is that you were created by God to serve a unique purpose.  He has a plan for you and His plan includes Jesus Christ being at the center of your life.  Jesus is the vine of your life with you being a branch extension of Him.  God is the vinedresser, pruning your branch to fulfill His purpose for you.  If you refuse to follow God’s plan for you, your life overall will mean nothing from an eternal perspective.  You will be following your own plan that mostly will be self-serving.  God’s plan for you involves your connection with others, just as the vine has many branches.  The Bible is clear (John 15:6) that branches (people) who do not choose to follow God’s plan will be cut off and burned. 

Your life means something and it will bear much fruit when you are part of God’s plan, connected to the leading of Jesus (remaining or abiding in Him).  Your life will reflect God’s glory and you will have significant purpose and meaning that has impact on the lives of many others as well as enabling you to keep maturing in your likeness to Jesus Christ.  Nothing else will give you more contentment and peace than knowing that you are reflecting God's plan for your life.  

Providing for your own household

I Timothy 5:8 (NASB)

But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Paul has been writing about honoring widows, with widows representing all people who are neglected, lonely, helpless, and despondent.  Then in verse 8 he presents a somewhat surprising and harsh condemnation to anyone who does not provide for his own relatives and immediate family.  Since this verse is within the context of widows, Paul is condemning anyone who is not taking care of older members of his/her family.  Yet, it also applies to anyone who has any kind of family responsibility.

Who are “his own”?  Other bible translations use “family relatives” in the context of “his own”.  Who are family relatives?  How far out do you go with relatives, i.e. is this referring to aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws, even distant relatives?  I don’t think so although your conscience will tell you if any of these relatives are close enough to you that you should call them your own.  In the context of I Timothy chapter 5, I believe that “his own” refers to immediate family not living in your home with you.  So this would include your mother, father, grandparents, brothers and sisters as well as children and grandchildren who no longer live in the same house as you. 

Who are “his household”?  The Greek word translated as household means “belonging to a house or family, related by blood”.  So household include those living in the same house as you plus those related to you by blood, i.e. grandparents, parents, children, grandchildren, brothers and sisters, and spouses.  Essentially you are to provide for those who you know are dependent on you.

Why is there such condemnation for a person who fails to provide for his own?  Paul is writing to believers in Christ.  He has observed that unbelievers, despite their lack of faith, still take care of their own while perhaps also observing that people claiming to be believers are not taking care of their own.  If a Christian does not take care of his own, he indeed is worse than the unbeliever who does take care of his own. 

Can you do anything that better glorifies God than to provide for the needs of your family, those who clearly depend on you?  I read of an interesting statistic where, according to the National Alliance for Caregiving and the American Association of Retired Persons in 2009, 29% of the U.S. population or 65 million people, provide care for a chronically ill, disabled, or aged family member or friend during any given year and spend an average of 20 hours per week providing care for their loved one.  At great sacrifice—time, money, personal health—so many Americans are lovingly providing for family who cannot provide for themselves.

God blesses those who provide for others even though at times you might not “feel” His blessing.  You are storing treasures in heaven.  Conversely, those who ignore the needs of loved ones, who don’t invest in time and/or money visiting aging parents and looking after their needs, are worse than unbelievers in God’s eyes and there will be consequences in this life and the life to come.

After reading and reflecting on this Scripture and these comments, do you feel blessed or   do you feel guilty?  Are you guilty of being a deadbeat dad or son?  Shame on you.  Heed Paul’s warning. If you are unemployed and unable to provide for your family as you wish  you could, God is not judging you.  This passage is referring to those who have the means  of providing for family members, but do not.  You know what you need to keep doing or   what you need to start doing in order to fulfill your biblical responsibilities for your family, especially those who need your help.