Gathering together at church with fellow believers to worship the Lord is an amazing thing. To be able to feel the comfort of God in a group setting produces an atmosphere of hope, belonging and support that are essential to every Christ-follower's walk. Going to church and meeting together with fellow believers is indeed what we are called to do (Hebrews 10:25), but, what happens when the only thing that separates us from the world is that we make an effort to show up at some place once a week to worship and learn about the Lord?
While knowing what God wants in our lives by studying the Bible, praying, and meeting with fellow believers is important, a healthy walk with Christ is not defined by having vast knowledge about Him - it is defined by seeking God's will in our lives and then actually applying what we've learned. We are not called by Christ to be sponges alone (that is to learn, learn and then learn some more), we are called to be mirrors - to actually do what we've been taught!
In John 13, we see a great example of a time where Jesus is giving the disciples an opportunity to soak in what He is teaching (v. 15) and then calling them to mirror Him. We read of Jesus, the Son of God, washing the feet of His disciples showing them that "slaves are not greater than their master" (v. 16). In other words, if Jesus, the Savior of the world, will stoop down and wash the feet of mere mortals, there is no one who should not be willing to stoop down and help others as well, regardless of who they are. After Jesus' instruction to His disciples, He seals the deal by telling them to mirror what He has taught them, "Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them" (v. 17, emphasis mine).
It is true that knowledge about God's word is important in order for us to be mirrors of Christ and, yes, we all must be sponges sometimes in order to become cleaner mirrors, but, if all we do is soak in information in order to feed our brains and don't actually apply what we learn then we are way off from where Christ wants us.
Do you put more emphasis on obtaining knowledge rather than actually applying what you know? If you are a new believer, it is obvious that you won't have as much knowledge of how God wants you to live as a veteran believer would. That is ok! Read your Bible, go to church and seek out the counsel of fellow-believers but do not let the soaking in of knowledge be what defines you as a Christ-follower! Regardless of where you are in your walk with Christ, make every effort you can to actually apply what you know! It will be then that you will be Continuously Overwhelmed with Blessings.
Showing posts with label Hebrews 10. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hebrews 10. Show all posts
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Friday, February 23, 2007
In Courage: Encouragement Defined
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).
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).
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