Isolation vs Encouragement

There is too much spiritual danger inherent in Christians choosing to be isolated. The New Testament model shows us Christians who are interested and involved in each other’s lives. Paul shared his joys and victories, as well as his hurts and struggles with his friends. He was transparent about his pain, even to the point of telling the Corinthians that at one point he “despaired even of life” (2Cor.1:8). When he was weak, he not only cried out to God, but he also called out for the help of his Christian friends. “Come to me quickly” he told Timothy because he was left without the support of those he formerly trusted (2Tim.4:9). And when he openly sought the needed fellowship of his spiritual family, he saw the hand of God and encouragement of the Holy Spirit in their voices and consolation: “God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us with the coming of Titus” (2Cor.7:6). When Paul sat with his Christian comrades, he wasn’t trying to keep up some kind of super-spiritual appearances, he was there as a real, vulnerable and transparent follower of Christ. We would do well to follow this biblical pattern. Spiritual trouble finds its fuel when we choose to be isolated. So reach out and be real. Seek to serve and be served. Look for the mutual encouragement and support that comes when real Christians truly get to know and love each other.

Real Love

Having spent years walking through Israel with Jesus, having listened to him teach, and having seen him heal the sick and even raise the dead, the Apostle John distilled Christ’s love into this intriguing statement: “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us” (1 John 3:16a). Without reference to any warm feelings or emotions, John elevates the painful sacrifice of Christ’s execution as his defining act of love. While the connection of biblical love with Christ’s tortuous death may sound familiar to experienced churchgoers, I would argue the paradox is often missed in the minds of modern Christians. Maybe we can more readily see it when we read the rest of John’s sentence: “…and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers” (1 John 3:16b). As we imagine the biblical call to love our fellow Christians, I suspect we envision the joy and camaraderie of spiritual brothers and sisters happily encouraging each other over a meal or after a prayer meeting. I don’t think we visualize the pain of death. Yet, our call to “love” each other is a call to sacrifice our comfort, our freedoms, or our advantages for the good and benefit of others. This “dying” to ourselves and our own agendas comes incrementally when we love in the manner of Christ. But don’t miss the fact that those painful sacrifices are the essence of Christlike love. So don’t hold back today. Go the extra mile, stay the extra hour, or spend the extra dollar for the edification of a brother or sister in Christ.

For more sermons and devotionals on Real Love, please go to the Focal Point Ministries website at www.focalpointministries.org. 

Responding to Trials

Modern Christians tend to misplace a good portion of their compassion. Often when they learn of someone who is struggling or hurting, regardless of the reason, they are quick to offer their blessings, support and encouragement. This kind of indiscriminate sympathy is far from what we see in the pages of the New Testament. The apostles maintained a careful distinction between “suffering for doing good” and “suffering for doing evil” (1 Peter 3:13-17). The former is commended and Christians are called to offer their prayers and their reassuring help (1 Peter 2:19-20). The latter calls for correction and usually prompted a godly rebuke (1 Peter 4:14-17). When we fail to make this distinction we risk being supportive of the unrepentant, thus encouraging insensitive consciences and hardened hearts toward God (Hebrews 12:5-6). Or it could be that our aimless affirmations will unwittingly contribute to “mocking God” by glossing over the important relationship between “sowing and reaping” (Galatians 6:7). So when the connection between suffering and sin is obvious, we should pray and exhort the repentant sufferer to affirm God’s holiness, and with David sing: “I know, O Lord, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me” (Psalm 119:75). We all have much to learn from our self-inflicted trials. May we be quick to repent and learn our lessons so that we can make a full recovery and move on to walking even more closely with Christ.