August 2021 Archives
Befriend Faithfulness
Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. ~Psalm 37:3
I don’t think there is a group of people I enjoy being around more than those who have been faithful–faithful to the Lord, faithful to their spouse, faithful to whatever ministry God has called them to. They inspire me, as that is my greatest desire–that I would be one of those faithful saints.
Proverbs 12:26 tells us:
The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray.
Proverbs 18:24 says:
One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Children are often thrown into classrooms where their companions become those they are stuck with. As adults, we get to choose who we hang around and learn from and, although you may think you are not influenced by your friends, think again. It is good to befriend people for the purpose of encouraging them and sharing the Gospel, but your true bosom friends should be those who are influencing your life for good, continually pointing you to the Savior.
I am thankful that I am surrounded by people who exhort me to love and good works, and I like to think that I do the same for them. I have also had friends that can be draining. Sometimes God puts these people in your life so the answer is not just to hang around those who are easy to get along with. But if your primary social life is with those who cuss, get drunk, watch raunchy movies, etc., it most likely will affect your walk with the Lord. Solomon started his reign following after his father David who was a man after God’s own heart, but it didn’t take long until he was following the example of his pagan wives and worshiping idols. You could easily go that route.
I encourage you to examine your closest friends. Are they walking with God, constantly endeavoring to put Him above all else, or are they feeding their flesh and encouraging you to do the same? If the latter, I encourage you to seek out new friends who will challenge you. You may begin to feel uncomfortable if you have been living a compromising life, but you will be in a position where you can begin to come out of your complacency and be a strong child of God. Then you can be that faithful friend to someone else.
Photo by Josue Michel on Unsplash
Rethinking Hebrews 10:25
I expect just about every churchgoer knows Hebrews 10:25 and has used it to guilt trip those who haven’t found a church that they feel comfortable attending, but I am going to argue that this verse was not written to stress the importance of warming a pew. Taken in context, the verse says the following:
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. ~Hebrews 10:24-25
Now prior to this, the author did talk about entering the Holiest so that may be why people associate this with attending church, but I think we do a disservice to view that as the primary focus.
I have seen plenty of people come into church at the last minute, find a seat, listen to the sermon, and leave right afterward. I guess they technically assembled, but they did not stir anyone up to love and good works, nor did they exhort anyone. On the other hand, I know people who are constantly ministering, showing hospitality, and otherwise getting together with God’s people. If they never stepped foot into a church building, they are fulfilling Hebrews 10:25.
I am in no way knocking church meetings or suggesting that they are not important. Those who have stopped going to church and have distanced from everyone they know are not thriving. We are not meant to be islands. Assembling is important. But be careful to not be harsh with those who spend their lives serving the Lord and are not at church every time the doors open.
Take Your Time
When I was a teenager, people would talk about suicide and remind us that, no matter how bad things are, they will get better. Someone else commented that life doesn’t always get better, but it does change. Regardless of your view, the fact is that nothing remains the same. Some days will be better and some will be worse, but we need not to react to those “worse” days.
My life has been quite a roller coaster. I have been through some dark-as-midnight valleys, but I have also seen some beautiful mountaintops where my heart filled with joy that was hard to contain. It is most likely these experiences that keep me holding on to hope even when I’m not seeing any at the time.
I have had times where I came close to making decisions that would have drastically altered my future, and probably not for the better. I’ve learned that if I give it time, I can typically think more clearly and better hear God’s voice instead of reacting in my flesh.
I know people who think they have to make decisions right away, therefore they act impulsively. I can go to the opposite extreme where I take too long to decide what to do, but I am trying to find a balance. For me, this sometimes means waiting a day to respond to an email or a text so that I produce the best response. It is rarely necessary to respond with the first thought that comes to my mind.
People talk about how easy it is to pick fights online because it’s impersonal but this does not make sense to me since it is easier to think through what you want to say when you have to type it out versus when you are face to face. We live in an age where it should be easier than ever to think before we speak (or interact online as the case may be).
In this fast-paced world, we want everything “right now,” but sometimes the best things still come to those who wait. Be sure that the decisions you make, the words you speak, the reactions that you exhibit are Spirit-led. If you feel anxious, angry, annoyed, or any like feeling, it would be better for you to take time to pray before you respond. “May your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
