Encourage One
Another
Growing up I heard my mom often say, "If you
don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all then!"
Maybe you heard it too. The world is full
of tearing down, hurtful words with stinging sarcasm. Just look at what
there is for "entertainment" on the TV (we don't watch them in our
home for this reason). The tearing down of each other is allowed in our
Christian homes as the world has made it a normal thing done; we don't think
about it at all - the words just pop out. "Sticks and stones may
brake my bones, but names will never hurt me", kids will taunt. But
name calling does stick with you the rest of your life, regardless of what the
world tells us.
This is quite contrary to what the Word of God has
to say, "But encourage one another
day after day, as long as it is still called "today", lest any one of
you be harden by the deceitfulness of sin." (Hebrews 3:13) Have you
ever noticed the little kid(s) with a "hardened" attitude toward
others because of name calling (adults as
well)?
This is
what God has to say about the world we now live in, "Do not love the
world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of
the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the
flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the
Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away and also it's
lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever." (1 John
2: 15-17) God calls us to be conformed to His world by
being, "transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Rom.
12:2) He wants us to follow His ways and not that
of this world.
We
"renew our minds" by being in His word, daily. Thus we clear out
the "junk" of the world and "renew" our thoughts with God's
word; by the way this also teaches us more of His character (thus we learn what
His will is) so that we become more effective in our prayer life as
well.
What
separates us (Christians) from the world should be seen in our actions; how we
treat and respond to those God has placed around us. God's word makes it
very clear that we are to "encourage one another day after day as long as
it's called today"; in other words we are to always encourage one
another.
When we
encourage others we're being obedient to God's word along with living it in
front of the world; we're doing what Jesus would do.
Today at
the work place, home, where ever God has placed you, be obedient to God's word
and give an encouraging word to those He has placed around
you.
by April Correia
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Have a wonderful day in the Lord!
April Correia