Encourage one another today

Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews 3:12-13

These truly are the “best of times and the worst of times”… On one hand we have great electronic inventions that are used to spread the Good News of Christ, his Gospel. We have satellite links that enable the transmission of sermons and teaching around the globe. An entire Bible now fits in the smallest of iPods and people are gifted with enough wealth to gather together for prayer and worship.

Yet for all of this the Christian community is selfish. The giving may extend to a tithe in a box but not an encouraging word to a brother or sister. Gone are the days of phone calls, encouraging letters, and surprise visits in each others homes. Our homes have become our oasis… our castles… and our prisons. We venture out only when it is convenient… to ourselves.

All around us the world is going to hell. Men and women of faith are faltering under the glare of worldliness… who will teach them otherwise? Who will mentor them one on one? Not us… ‘we have mission trips to attend to’… ‘we need to visit the land where our Lord walked’… and yet all around us people are starving for the Gospel… all around us couples turn on the television instead of tuning into a Bible study that you taught. When will children grow up and become teachers? Hebrews 5:12

God’s people need encouragement from each other. We simply need to take the time to care for one another… to help one another. To care enough to learn about one another… to love enough to understand and at times to care enough to reprimand.

Trinkets and toys of this age are fun and wonderful but they do not compare to the fellowship and the care of sharing one with another. Metal and plastic cannot warm the heart, encourage the soul, or uplift a heavy spirit but your words can… your heart can…