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But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. Hebrews 3:13
God never intended for us to do the journey of life on our own. From the very beginning, in the Garden of Eden, He looked upon man, His most prized possession, and said, “It’s not good for man to be alone.”
In a sense, God was saying, man needs relationship to get through life. Even though Adam was in relationship with God on a face to face basis, he needed someone like himself who could walk with him and see things the way he did, through human eyes.
God has always been in the business of relationship. Relationship is crucial for our physical, emotional and spiritual well being. There are times in each of our lives when we may think being a hermit would be a great idea. No people to bother us, no politics to endure and no pain from broken relationships. But hermits don’t make a difference in their world. Hermits don’t acknowledge or use the gifts God has given them.
The writer to the Hebrews was talking relationship in Hebrews 3:13. What he is really saying to us in this verse is that each of us needs to have at least one person in our lives that we can go to with our deepest darkest secrets. Someone who won’t judge us; will listen to us when we need to vent; encourage us when we feel weak; cry with us when we need to cry and celebrate when things are going right.
It’s no secret why groups dealing with addictions encourage their participants to have a ‘friend’ that they can call on when the temptation to indulge in the addiction is too great. When we are fighting addictions we need to have someone who will stand by us and not lecture or judge us.
Ever noticed really good cheerleaders at an athletic contest? They seem completely unaware of the score on the scoreboard. Their job isn’t to analyze the team’s ability. Their job is to cheer on the people on the field. Everyone needs a cheerleader in their lives. Someone who stands by us when we are losing the battle and celebrates when we win.
Don’t buy into the enemies lie: “I don’t need anyone. All I need is God”. We need each other. We need to have intimate spiritual relationships with one or two people that we know we can share our deepest darkest secrets with; who we can express our pain to and we can trust to stand by us, even when they don’t agree with our situation.
If you are struggling today with an addiction, a relational issue, a financial issue or any of the other obstacles in this journey called life, my prayer for you is that you will find one or two close friends who are Christ-followers and will love you as Jesus does, unconditionally.
If you are a Christ-follower, my prayer for you is that you seek out those who are limping along on the journey. Like the story of the Good Samaritan, it’s easy to be too busy or too appalled by the victims we see laying along the road, bruised and battered by life. It’s time to stop and do what we can to dress the wounds of those in need of the healing only Jesus can give.
Every day, the enemy watches us get out of bed and plans what obstacles to throw in our way. Every day we need a cheerleader. Someone who will encourage us to press on regardless of the score on the scoreboard.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, you know the struggle I’m in right now. You knew from the beginning of time how important it is that I be in an intimate spiritual relationship with someone. I pray that you will help me find the comfort and encouragement of relationship the way you meant it to be. Help me to reach out to those in need as I walk this road called life. In your name I pray, Amen.
A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. Proverbs 11:25
Life is full of irony, especially for the Christ follower. Want to be the greatest in the Kingdom? Put everyone before you. Want to be first? Be last. Want to be strong? Be weak. It’s no wonder people are a little confused by our way of life.
Add another irony to the mix. If we are honest with ourselves we all want more. Who of us hasn’t made a statement like this: “If I win the lottery I will…”? Or, “if only I had…”. As a human race it’s natural to measure our success and importance on possessions. One of the biggest reasons our nation is in such financial turmoil is the desire for more. We want more toys so we use plastic to get it. We want more government benefits even though oftentimes those benefits come as a result of higher taxes or more national debt.
Relationships have been destroyed, churches plundered and lives lost all in the name of ‘more’. The Bible gives us another way to get more, give more. In reality the main reason we want more is to make us feel better on the inside. Our quest of material possessions is really a cry for inner peace. We buy into the false idea that physical comfort results in emotional stability. In reality it’s the opposite.
So how can you get more? Give more. Your response to that may be the same one that I tend to give, “I don’t have anything to give. If I won the lottery…” But each of us can be generous. The level of our generosity has absolutely NOTHING to do with the balance in our checkbook. Think about that for awhile, it’s important.
If I have no money I can give myself. It may be something so small and insignificant (in our eyes) as a smile to the flustered and inept server at the coffee shop. It may be refraining from taking your legal and rightful turn at the four-way stop! As long as you have breath you have something you can give to those around you. The important, emotionally fulfilling things in life cost nothing but time, and often that time amounts to minutes, not hours.
One day Jesus and his disciples were standing in the temple watching people give their offerings. One dear little old lady put two mites (essentially two pennies) into the offering plate. Jesus, the Son of God, the richest, most powerful person on earth saw that and was in awe and excited. He pointed the woman out. “Look! She has given the most because she gave from the heart!”
Generosity doesn’t come from the swipe of a credit card, or the signing of the check. Generosity comes from a heartfelt desire to make a difference in the lives of those around you.
The true beauty of generosity is that when you give of yourself to others with an attitude of love and compassion, you are blessed far more than the person you have reached out to.
Want to have more peace and fulfillment in your life? Give what you’ve already been given, even if it’s just a hug or a smile to someone who needs one. You may be surprised how good it feels.
PRAYER: Father God, I confess to you that often I’ve measured my ability to give by the balance of my checkbook or the external gifts I wish I had. I have ignored the many ways I can be generous with the things you have already given me. Empower me by your Spirit to see ways I can be generous without spending a penny. Help my generosity show others the love of Jesus. In your name I pray, Amen.
When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:39-40
I have a confession to make. I have a problem with ‘Christians’. I think it’s safe to say that because I’m honored to have been chosen by Christ. I’m so thankful that He willingly and lovingly forgave a weak-willed sinner like me, and continues to do so. So I’m well aware that when I point fingers I have four more pointing back at me and perhaps that’s good since I’m probably more guilty than most.
One of the most frequent accusations I hear about ‘us’ is that we are all just a bunch of hypocrites. When we hear that we’re tempted to use a quick comeback like: “Then join us, you’ll fit right in!”, or “Well, we aren’t perfect, we’re just forgiven”. But the reality is, it stings for any of us when our weaknesses and failures are flaunted to those outside the ‘circle’.
Maybe one of the reasons it’s so hard to hear the accusations is because there are so many times when I’ve seen people who claim to be Christians doing things that Jesus would never do. When I see people verbally (and sometimes physically) assault ‘corrupt and evil sinners’ in the name of Jesus I want to…..slap them! (or worse but then I’d be like them).
Don’t get me wrong. I have several close friends I truly admire for the way they reach out to those in need. There are many openly Christian organizations that do a tremendous work to show Christ’s love in times of disaster, and tragedy. God Bless You if you are in one of those groups!
But there are so many times when I hear people say things about how they’d never go back to church after they were treated badly, or hear horror stories of people in agony who have been stomped on in ‘the name of Jesus.’
It’s relatively easy to be ‘Christ-like’ in a situation where there is tragedy and disaster and it’s noble as well. The question is, how many people are silently struggling around us? How many are enduring the pain of divorce, addictions, abuse, anger and chemical dependency with no comfort from someone who is ‘Jesus in skin’?
We need to recognize that God did not put those who are down and out on earth for me to change, convict or save. He put them here for me to learn from, listen to, to challenge and be challenged by, and to enjoy together and if possible and to comfort along this journey we call life.
Here are some ideas that may help each of us (and I emphasize EACH of us) in making a difference among the silently struggling in our own little corner of the world. Each should be bathed in prayer and practiced until perfection.
First, keep your eyes and ears open to the feelings (not just the words) of those who you come in contact with. Many times people hide their pain in sarcasm, and other ways. The trained ear knows how to look past the shell of protection to see the real need.
Secondly, make time to be available. Look for service projects that need to be done. Volunteer at a school, a shelter, in your church, at a local ministry. Ministry doesn’t come to you. Search for it and you may be surprised that even though things in your life are not going well, being a servant not only elevates those who are suffering, it elevates you as well. Don’t let your own trouble keep you from being someone else’s comfort.
Thirdly, be available inspire of your own busy schedules. Service isn’t always convenient. There were many times in Jesus’ life when he took side trips because of need. Let the grass grow a little longer, the clothes pile up in the laundry and use that time to be a servant to someone in need.
Finally realize that being a servant to someone may require a personal price. You may have to sacrifice your reputation. People may question your motives. You may be taken advantage of. You may be accused wrongfully. That’s all part of being a servant. It happened to Jesus and will happen to you as well.
Big ‘C’ or little ‘c’? Which will it be in your life? Is your Christian faith a religion to practice or a relationship to enjoy and grow in?
PRAYER: Dear Jesus. When I think of your ministry on earth I’m in awe of your patient, giving and loving attitude. While I try to live my life so others will see You in me, I confess that I fall woefully short. Empower me with your Spirit to be a servant to those who may be silently suffering. Help me use my pain to comfort others. In your name I pray, Amen.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
It’s a verse many of us learned in Sunday School, and perhaps the most well-known verse in the Bible. ‘For God so loved the world.’ What an awesome promise. What an incredible thought. Not a god, THE God. The creator and sustainer of the universe loves us. Make it more personal. He loves me. Insignificant as I am, a stubborn, selfish, weak-willed person. Yet He looks down from heaven and smiles when He sees me.
Fantastic as that truth is, so often we focus our attention on the first part of the verse and relatively little time really thinking about the next part of the verse. ‘He gave his one and only son’. If you are a parent, ask yourself, “If I knew my only child was going to be killed, what would I do to protect him/her? How much money would I spend to keep my child protected? What would I sacrifice to make sure I could enjoy my child’s presence?
It might be easy to say, “Yeah, but He’s God. Sure, He knew Jesus would die, but He also knew Jesus would rise again.” But remember that we are made in God’s image. Our emotional make-up and intellect comes from Him.
A friend of mine (I’ll call John) recently lost his infant son to a rare disease. The disease struck in the morning and took the little ones life before sundown! It was incredibly hard for the family and all those close to John. I hadn’t seen John in several months since the funeral of his one-year-old little boy. As we sat over coffee, John told me how the morning of his son’s death he’d been spoken to regarding sacrifice. “It was as if God was saying to me, ‘will you give me everything?”
John remembers thinking, I can give you everything except I have to admit I’m not sure I’d give you my son. That day God took his son from him. John learned a valuable lesson about what it must have been like for his Heavenly Father when he was separated from His only son.
When Jesus was on earth it was as though He was imprisoned in a foreign land. While His Father could see Him, the relationship was different. When Jesus was dying on the cross, even His Father turned His face from His one and only Son. That’s why, with agony Jesus screamed, “My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?”
John 3:16 doesn’t just tell us that God loves us. It shows us that God understands what sacrifice means. When we are asked to give everything to God, it’s not an idle statement by a God that hasn’t sacrificed. He loved me so much that He literally gave the only thing He could possibly give, His only Son.
The next time you think the pain of the journey is too great; remember that Jesus endured pain beyond imagination so He could comfort you. When you wonder if you can go on, remember that Jesus’ agony was so great that He sweat great drops of blood. During those times you feel all alone, remember Jesus knew what it was like to have all of his family, and friends reject Him. Even His heavenly Father turned his back on him.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I thank you that you understand my deepest pain. Thank you that in my loneliness you are desperate to be my friend. Thank you for the promise that Your love is eternal and unconditional. I’ve made many mistakes. I struggle with trying to do the right thing. Empower me by your Spirit to learn to live the life of sacrifice for your sake. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 