When I was younger and in school, I was amazed at how slowly the school year would go and how fast the summer would pass. Even though I perceived time differently in each instance, time remained constant and I could not recover the time that had ticked by. Although at the end of each summer I had wished that I could recover the time that had flown by, looking back I am glad I was given the opportunity to get an education and to use my time in a way that would help my future.

The same is true for our lives as Christ-followers; God has given us a certain amount of time here on Earth and we are responsible for using it wisely. The amazing thing to note here, though, is that while using our time wisely in school helps our lives and future here on Earth, the benefits of using our time wisely for Christ can make a huge impact not only on our lives and our future but its possible they can influence the lives and eternities of others.

As Christ-followers we have been given the Great Commission by Christ (Matthew 28:18-20) and it is our responsibility to use our time wisely to accomplish it! In Psalm 39:4, King David says, "Lord, remind me how brief my time on Earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered–how fleeting my life is." When I read this Psalm I have mixed emotions. Part of me screams, "Lord! Come soon! I'm so tired of the trials of this world!" The other proclaims, "Man! I've got so many things here that I love and enjoy! I wish my life was longer!" Regardless of how we feel about our time here on Earth, the reality of how fleeting our lives are remains unchanged.

Do you feel you use your time wisely for Christ? It's not wrong to take time to relax, play games, and recoup but using our time wisely and in a way that will impact lives for Christ is very important, especially since the time we are given is limited. I'm not sure about you, but at the end of my life, I don't want to wish that I could recover the time that had passed. Instead, I would rather look back and be glad I was given time to be used by Christ and to have an impact for Him

I recently sat down at a local coffee shop to read my Bible but instead ended up in conversation with two married folks about Christianity. The conversation began lightly with the admiration and awe that we felt in regard to Christ because of God’s answer to a prayer that we had all been praying about. We then moved on to multiple topics about religion, God’s place in the world, the belief that the Bible is God’s inerrant word, and how many paths there are to Heaven. The wife was very attentive during our discussion but the husband, whether it was because he was hard of hearing (I believe he was in his late 60’s) or because of stubbornness, would barely let me speak.

Before I continue my story, let me first mention that I understand that we have to be very careful in our discussions to not segregate people to the point that they do not see and understand what is most important: Christ’s love. Also, I recognize that petty arguments about Christianity with believers who are new or weak in their faith--arguments about things that are morally gray--many times do not end the way either party wants and are also spoken against in scripture (Romans 14:1). That being said, when the Bible speaks of something in a black and white manner--in a way that leaves no question about the author’s original meaning--we should be full and ready to correct and rebuke those who say otherwise in the most gentle, patient and humble way possible (2 Timothy 4:2).

Realizing that the husband was my elder, I respectfully and gladly held my tongue when my conscience allowed; however, once the words he chose to speak contradicted what the Bible says, my conscience could no longer allow me to be silent. Despite his claim that he believed the Bible is God’s inerrant word, he admitted that he believed that there are multiple ways to Heaven. When I asked him how that could be since Jesus specifically said in John 14:6 that He is the only way, he became very defensive and told me that I needed to have an open mind about things.

It has become very apparent to me that, in the last couple of decades, the United States (at least) has not become anti-religion but anti-Christianity. There has been a major trend towards having an open mind to everything and a closed heart to Christ. The Bible, however, calls us to not only open our minds but to open our hearts!

God does not ask us to leave our minds at the door. In fact, God is not above divinely providing intellect and rationalization to those who need it (Luke 24:45), but a heart that is open to God always produces a much more open and complete mind than a closed one. Romans 12:2 shows us that, when we are obedient to Christ and do not conform to the patterns of this world, He will transform us into a new person and change our minds to be more in line with His perfect will for our lives!

Do you belong to the “Open Minds, Closed Hearts” group like this old man does? Do you sometimes struggle with allowing God to transform you into a new person by transforming the way you think? Although this world says that freedom and unity are produced from an open mind to everything and everyone, an open mind is never truly free or open unless it has been transformed by an open heart to Christ. Throughout your day, make a conscious effort to do what you know God wants you to do and open your heart to Him. If you do so, He will open your mind in ways you could never imagine.

What I am about to reveal is going to blow your mind. In fact, not only should you take notes, you should probably sit down as well. Are you ready? Here goes: It is much easier to get from point A to point B when you are able to see where you are going. Ok, so you’re probably not as enlightened as you thought you were going to be but what if we applied this obvious fact to our spiritual lives?

In John 12:46, Jesus shouts to the crowds, “I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.” By this Jesus was letting the crowd know that His ultimate mission was to show and provide the way from point A (our earthly lives) to point B (Heaven); all He requests is that we trust in Him (v. 44). Ironically, even though we understand that spatially it is easier to get from point A to point B when we have light to see, spiritually many consistently and willingly ignore this fact and remain in the darkness of this world.

Although, as humans, we are not perfect and we will sometimes stumble back into darkness, the mark of a true Christ-follower is one who is always walking towards THE Light (Jesus Christ). Are you daily spending time with Christ so that He can illuminate your life? Does your lifestyle allow Christ’s light to shine through you? Christ came in order to illuminate our lives with his grace, mercy and love. Through his ultimate sacrifice on the cross, those who accept Him will no longer remain in the dark but will be consumed by Christ’s light which can never be extinguished (John 1:5).

Imagine a kid named Billy. Billy, being a young kid, doesn't understand that humans and electricity don't mix and therefore isn't aware that, when he sticks something metal into an electrical socket, he will experience a jolt he'll never forget. Like most kids, all it will take is one shock for Billy to lose all curiosity about the effects of electricity on the human body. In fact, Billy, having experienced the bite of the surprised-faced sockets that taunt all who pass their space on the wall, will be quick to inform his friends that sticking a piece metal into something with electrical current is not a good idea. Even though Billy is most likely frustrated that he had to go through the pain and agony of being electrocuted, his friends will be spared from having to experience that same pain if they listen to his wise council.

The same is true for all things that we have experienced or will experience in this lifetime--good or bad. Because we live in a fallen world and we are given free choice, there will be times in our lives where we'll go through trials, tribulations and plenty of pain. There will also be times when we'll make dumb decisions that cause us to miss out on certain blessings that God had prepared for us. These times may not be enjoyable and we may be confused as to why God would allow us to go through them, but, if we allow these "shocking" experiences to teach us and mold us into the people God wants us to be, we can use them as leverage in encouraging others to avoid things that would lead them into similar situations. Not only that, they will also help us relate with and encourage those who may be going through (or have gone through) the same experiences.

Romans 5:3-4 says, "We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation." The endurance and strength of character that we develop because of the experiences that we go through allow us to be more confident in our hope of salvation. This confidence isn't limited to us alone though; we are able to share this hope of salvation confidently because of the endurance and strength of character that our experiences have provided. Rejoicing about problems and trials because of how they enhance our ability to encourage is a much better use of our time and energy than allowing ourselves to be upset about them.

Are you constantly bitter about the experiences that God has allowed you to go through or do you use them to encourage others around you? It's important to realize that the impact we are able to have on others can be drastically influenced by the experiences that we go through. Even though the hard times God allows us to undergo aren't fun to deal with, the experience that we gain because of them have the potential to be the best tool we can use to encourage others. Don't hide the wisdom that comes from experience. Allow God to use you, regardless of whether or not you feel useable, and allow the experiences you've had to enhance your ability to encourage others.

Labels: encourage, encouragement, endurance, Experience, In Courage, problems, Romans 5, trial

Hopefully by now you see the enormous power encouragement can have if it is actually put into practice. Unfortunately, encouragement is not bias towards being used only for good. When we encourage someone, we have the opportunity to either encourage them to do what is right or to do what is wrong. Encouragement's bipolarity, or its potential to be used by two extremes (good or evil in this context), can be a dangerous thing as it gives evil the same amount of access to its power and influence as it does to good.

Peer pressure (which is nothing more than a glorified term used to describe evil encouragement) is a very common use of encouragement for negative purposes. Like many, throughout my school years I was faced with plenty of peer pressure. There were times when my peers would pressure me to do drugs, go to parties to get drunk, mess around with girls, and plenty of other things that the Bible clearly says to stay away from. Fortunately for me, I grew up in a Christian home where things like that were discussed and I was able to steer clear of what I was being pressured to do.

But what about the people who were baby Christians at that time or weren't Christians at all? Were they able to steer clear from all of those things? I suppose we'll never know. However, based upon the fact that many of my old school friends are now consumed by lifestyles that God never intended for them to have, I think it's safe to say that either a lack of good encouragement or a surplus of evil encouragement in their lives gave way to the lifestyles that they chose.

It's quite possible that we may be the only positive encouragement someone is exposed to. Therefore, it is very important for us as Christians to get in a habit of encouraging others to do what is right. One way to do this is to watch what we say: "Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them" (Ephesians 4:29). We must also realize that proximity, or nearness in location, isn't necessary for encouragement. You don't have to be within speaking distance of someone in order to encourage them. Actions speak louder than words, thus we must make sure our actions provide a good example that will encourage others to do the same.

Are you doing your best to be an encouragement to those around you by watching what you say and by keeping your actions in check? Or do you encourage others to do things that are not right? The sooner we realize that encouragement is bipolar, the sooner we will be able to put into practice the kind of encouragement that God wants us to produce: encouragement that causes others to see God and His will for their lives more clearly. We should not be like the wicked people that Romans 1:19-32 talks about; people who do things that are detestable to God and, even worse, encourage others to do the same. We should strive to be examples of the amazing life-changing love that God provides for all that choose accept Him.

Labels: actions, bias, encouragement, Ephesians 4, evil, example, good, influence, peer pressure, Romans 1, unbias

Now that we have a comfortable understanding of encouragement, it's important that we take steps to actually put encouragement into practice. Encouragement can be likened to a cue ball from a pool table. The cue ball itself has a lot of potential (i.e. it is the means by which all the other balls are to make it in the pool table's pockets). But, without the force of the pool stick moving and directing the cue ball where it needs to go, it's potential can never be actualized--the cue ball becomes useless. Likewise, encouragement that is never spoken or acted upon is worth absolutely nothing.

In order for encouragement to work, it must be put to use. For example, any responsible parent would tell you that, in order to "train up a child in the way he should go..." (Proverbs 22:6a), he or she must spend a great deal of time encouraging good behavior. Otherwise, if the child's good behavior is never recognized or if they are never encouraged to do better, it's quite possible that they may become frustrated and discouraged. This could ultimately hinder them from improving their behavior or reaching their full potential (Colossians 3:21).

The flow of encouragement between parents and children isn't the only example of a circumstance or situation where encouragement is crucial. Any relationship (whether it be a marriage, dating relationship, friendship, accountability group, etc.) should be full of encouragement. For example, if your accountability partner is struggling with something or has done something wrong, one way to encourage them would be by letting them know you are willing to help them fix the problem and by reminding them of the many verses in the Bible that promise that the Lord is in control. In the same way, if the person you are dating or are married to did something good for you or something that you enjoyed, encourage them to continue to do so by letting them know that you liked it.

As you can imagine, encouragement is a tool with many uses. It can be used to correct someone in a gentle and humble way, convey what behavior you enjoy/expect or help someone feel empowered in order to do something. However, just like the cue ball's potential can never be actualized if the pool stick does not utilize it, the benefits of encouragement can never be brought about if it is not put into practice. Encouragement is too precious to not be used in our everyday lives. Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to work through you by being an encouragement to others? if not, do not wait any longer to vocalize or show encouragement. In fact, consider this your cue.

Labels: Colossians 3:21, cue, encourage, pool, Proverbs 22:6a, relationships, worth

Because we live in a fallen world, there will be times when we will want to quit trying to be the people God has called us to be. We'll go through times of uncertainty about where God wants us to go or what He wants us to do. We'll be faced with trials that cause us to believe God has left us and that we must continue alone. We may even begin to believe that living life for Christ is not worth it and He couldn't possibly be the only way to Heaven. What do we do during these times and how can we help our fellow Christ-followers make it through them as well? The answer is encouragement.

What does encouragement mean? According to Dictionary.com, encouragement means to inspire with courage--to provide "the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear." I don't know about you, but I have realized that I become most passionate about living my life for Christ when I surround myself with fellow believers who constantly encourage me to allow God to change me and mold me into the person He wants me to be. Let's face it, Christianity is not a lone ranger lifestyle. We are relational beings and, as such, we need to bind together and lift each other up (Hebrews 10:25, 1 Thessalonians 5:11).

It's important to understand that encouragement should be a two-way street. Not only should we get into a habit of encouraging others, but we should also surround ourselves with people who are encouraging to us. Paul understood this and mentioned it in his letter to the Christians in Rome (Romans 1:12). He knew that encouragement should be a practice that is carried out throughout the whole community of believers, for even those who encourage others need to be encouraged themselves!

Are you an encouragement to the people around you? Are you making an effort to be with other believers in order to encourage and be encouraged? Throughout His time on earth, Jesus constantly encouraged His disciples. We too should encourage others by reminding them of the amazing and undeserving love that Jesus provides and by being there for them during the hard times that this life brings. As you go throughout your day, think of some ways that you can become a better encourager to those whom God has placed in your path and make some plans to meet with fellow believers so that you can be encouraged as well. Take comfort from the fact that we do not live this life alone; Christ is faithful to us and surely will be with us always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).

Labels: 1 Thessalonians 5, courage, encourage, Hebrews 10, Matthew 28, Romans 1