I was recently studying through the book of Hebrews in my devotional time. Hebrews has so much great content that we could talk about it for years. But there was one verse that jumped out at me as I was studying through chapter 10. As I worked myself through this rich and powerful chapter, verse 24 seemed to leap off the page at me. “Let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds.”
If we were watching an old western, we might think of spurs as the things cowboys used to prod their horse to move a bit faster. But when the author of Hebrews uses this word, he is talking about how we cheer one another on to do all that God has called us to do. We might also hear that as “let us encourage one another to live lives of love and good deeds.”
The point is, as the church, an important part of our calling is to cheer one another on. The life of a Christian disciple can be difficult at times. There will be hard days and it could be very easy to become discouraged. But if each of us will see it as a part of our calling to be a cheerleader, encouraging fellow believers in their work, it can be powerful and transformative.
So how do we do that? How do we spur one another on in the important works of the gospel? Certainly, we do that with our words. A well-timed simple word of encouragement can make all the difference in a person's life. I know I have had times when I was feeling discouraged, but God put someone in my path with a word of encouragement that completely changed my outlook. Everyday you and I have the opportunity to cheer someone else on with a few words of encouragement spoken at just the right time. Of course, we won't always know when the right time is. So, my encouragement would be that we be as free and generous with our words of encouragement as we can be, to as many people as possible.
Often God will place a calling on someone's life that they simply cannot fulfill by themselves. When we try to do it alone it feels overwhelming, and we soon want to give up. But when you or I come alongside someone and share in a work that God has called them to, it is also a way for us to spur them on to love and good works.
In a thousand different ways, by word and deed, we can be the ones to encourage fellow believers to do something amazing for the sake of Christ and his kingdom. So, I want to challenge all of us to find someone that we can cheer on today! Let's all spur one another on to love and good deeds for the sake of Christ and the world.
I look forward to us all being together this Sunday as we continue this great series “The Gospel.” Have a blessed week.
Love you all,
Pastor Steve.