When we presented the 2011: Year to Increase plan in December, one of our concerns was how to keep the plan and the progress in front of us throughout the course of an entire year. One of the ways we decided upon was to stop after each preaching series and remind ourselves of what we have been called to and to look very closely at where we are. This month I felt the Scriptures were leading us to understand the role that encouragement must play in each of our lives as we seek to walk in obedience to God’s will.
Hebrews 3:13 says “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sins deceitfulness.” Encouragement is not an option, it is a command. We are called to be encouragers to one another, not merely when we are at our best, but “daily”. No matter what our position or condition, God has made very clear that we are to be encouragers to one another. The outcome may be even more important that the initial command, our encouragement has the power to keep our hearts from becoming hard and from sin from sounding like truth in our ears and hearts. If we truly believe this Scripture to be true, we must be more active in our encouragement of one another, obedience and disobedience often hang in the balance.
I pray that today’s message will be an encouragement to you, but also that it will be a challenge, that we will all take up the mantle of encouragement and choose to remind each other daily that God is always leading us to triumph in Christ and that our calling, in every place He leads is for us to diffuse the fragrance of Christ.