Journal Entry ~ 06/13/19

23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,
25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. - Hebrews 10:23-25

The writer of Hebrews understood what we can easily forget—faith flourishes in community. While it is important to spend quiet time alone with Jesus, with Scripture open in front of you, we grow spiritually when we’re spending time with other believers. The condition of our faith is a result of the quality of our relationship with God and with other believers. 

These verses includes two specific ways in which faith flourishes, and they both rely heavily on others. The writer points to stirring up one another and encouraging one another as key growth habits for followers of Jesus. And he made it clear that this process starts, not by expecting others to do it for us, but by considering how we may cause the faith of others to flourish.  

The enemy knows this and works hard to isolate us. He wants us alone because he knows we despair when we’re by ourselves. Our problems seem bigger than we can manage on our own, and we see no way out. When we’re defeated and weak, we lack the energy to seek out community, and we spiral downward. 

But in community, we grow. We grow because we are encouraged and re-directed back to the One who loves us with a steadfast love and who is sovereign over it all. When we walk through trials, it is the people in our community who step in to support us, to be the hands and feet of Jesus, to take care of the little things we no longer have the energy to do - run errands or makes  meals. We grow in community because we hear the stories of God’s faithfulness to fulfill His promises, and our faith is strengthened. We grow in community because our blind spots are revealed and we are held accountable. We grow in community because God designed us to be relational beings who need one another to make it through this broken world. 

Bottom line - if we want to grow spiritually, we need to be in community so that others can hold us accountable in areas we need to grow, and so we can feel supported when we are getting pushed down. 


Press on ~ you are loved 💗

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