Articles
Encourage One Another
1 Thess 5:11
“For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord is coming just like a thief in the night.” 1 Thes 5:2 You, members of Christ’s church at Mountain View, know the Lord is coming like a thief in the night. You know you should be in the light so that the darkness of this world will not overtake you. You know you should be alert and sober because we are of the day, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of salvation. “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” Therefore encourage one another, and build one another up.
The path is this: Do away with yourself and become like Jesus. Encouragement is always in a particular direction and the direction is away from you and towards Him. Barnabas (Son of Encouragement) knew this when he sold his land to feed the needs of those pursuing God at the beginning of the church (Acts 4). Barnabas knew this when he vouched for Saul who was trying to get closer to God (Acts 9). Barnabas knew this when he went to Antioch to strengthen the church “And many people were brought to the Lord” (Acts 11:24). Barnabas was a great encourager because he knew what we know too:
You were made in God’s image. You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.
Barnabas knew what was so eloquently state later by Blaise Pascal, “What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace? This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God himself.” Pensées VII-(425)
The beauty, grace, and fear of the matter is that it is no small task to mold yourself to be like Jesus. No more lying. Not just lying, but no unwholesome word should come out of your mouth! No longer can you walk in the futility of your mind. Forgive one another, give without the thought of reward, be angry AND do not sin, do not forsake one another, rid yourselves of lust, be sober in spirit...This is not easy! We need each other to accomplish this!
It seems such a daunting task that the temptation is to say, “Why even try?” The same words spoken by the man given one talent and buried it in the ground. The same words spoken by every person who failed to use their talents to make more talents for God. My encouragement to you is this. Help others to see what God sees in them. Help others see what God has intended for them to become. It’s not always easy or nice to hear the truth, but it is always good to hear that you CAN be something great. Be an encouragement. Encourage One Another.
Drew Bowman
