Encouragement
October 17, 2015
Devotions:
“For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine.” Romans 1:11-12 NASB
Paul was not seeking to come to the Roman church to get something but to give something. He wanted to go there to give them some spiritual gift so that they would be encouraged. When we go to church is it always to get something or to give something, a smile, an encouraging word to those we meet? If we make it our goal to bring an encouraging word to those around us in church and outside church then we will create an atmosphere around us that everyone will enjoy being in. And if everyone in church was doing the same thing the church would have such a dynamic service that no one would want to leave or get there late.
“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. For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end,”
Hebrews 3:12-14 NASB
Evil is lurking all around us looking for an opportunity to destroy us. He does this through bringing discouragement and doubt in God's goodness to our hearts. He is trying to rip us away from the Father's love by tricking us into thinking that God has rejected us so we turn our back on God and do not seek Him in the time of failure and need. Here we are told that the remedy to this is to encourage each other BECAUSE we are partakers of Christ, we are the victors in Christ and the Father will never turn His back on us so why should we turn our back on Him? As we encourage each other we are to turn each others eyes onto Jesus who is our total victory even in the face of defeat.
We are not to speak words of judgement or criticism but of encouragement. We are not speaking words of gossip or slander, even though it may be true, but words of encouragement to each other and about each other. If we fall and speak words of discouragement and criticism then we need to ask forgiveness and look to the Lord to change our speech to the positive. Paul in Philippians 4:8 tells us to thing on the positive, pure, good, uplifting things. If we are to thing on these things then we will be speaking these things only.