Encouragement

Tonight Anthony shared with us a verse from Hebrews that really made me think. The verse is Hebrews 3:13, and it says: “But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘today,’ lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

This passage speaks to me of two things regarding sin. The first is that in its deceitfulness, it makes us feel like we have lost, and the battle is over. By encouraging one another, we remind each other that the victory has been won by Christ, but even more important, others can see in a much clearer way the growth we have experienced in our lives. It is nice to have a “second opinion”, and even better to have one on the outside. How many times have I been discouraged by the lack of growth in my own life, when people around me see so much more?

The second thing I see about this verse is that sin can sometimes appear to be very attractive, and by encouraging one another to “stay the course”, we help remind one another that the race is really worth running.

Encouragement – definitely something needed by everyone. What a blessing it was tonight.