Encourage Everyday

Hebrews 3:13 tells us: 
"Exhort one another every day, as long as it is called 'today', that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin."

In my second year of University I decided that I was going to exclude myself from others and "go it alone"...The year before I had been so consumed in the social side of school that I decided I wanted to go the opposite way and become more focused.

 It worked well...for a while.

But soon I grew hard, I got caught up in sinful thoughts and actions more than perhaps any other time in my life--and I started seriously doubting my faith and especially my call to ministry.  I was miserable, but worse I was unproductive and living contrary to how God called me to live.

This all happened in the context of being at "Bible School" ... in other words it was almost like attending a church service everyday.  But even so, I didn't have the kind of relationships in my life that allowed for others to encourage and urge me on...in fact no one really knew the struggles I was having that year.

Many Christians think that "going to church" is all of the Christian community they really need.  Perhaps they also attend a small group or some other ministry program.  But I am more and more convinced--by experience and especially by Scripture, that this is not enough.  The relationships we need to be disciples of Jesus are ones that are far more intimate than regular acquaintances.

We need relationships that have permission to speak into our lives daily, sometimes in tough ways.  This doesn't necessarily mean daily meetings...but it does mean having some people who really know what's going on in your life, and have the permission to encourage, urge you on and challenge you to live the life that Jesus called you to live.

This might scare you...do you really want people in your life with that kind of permission?  If you want to follow Jesus, you NEED it!  I know this, because I've tried both ways...going alone just doesn't work.  I NEED people in my life who know me and are willing not just to encourage me, but to also urge me on when I am stumbling.  This is what the Body is supposed to do.

If you don't have people like this in your life--find them.  Find a way that you can mutually urge each other on!
"...spur each other on to love and good deeds!"  (Heb 10:24)