...that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith.
Thoughts for Today:Isn't that the way it is in ministering to the needs of others? At the same time we help someone else become stronger in their faith -- we also grow in our own.
My eight year old daughter Amanda loves the Lord and is blessed with an amazing memory. One of the things we enjoy sharing is Bible verses we've memorized which we then teach to the other person.
Last Sunday Amanda and I decided to walk to church. (My wife had left earlier to pick up one of the girls from the high school group she mentors.) As we walked, I shared with Amanda one of the Scripture verses I had been studying and committed to memory: Psalms 28:2, "Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift my hands toward your most Holy Place." After the third try she got it right -- I was impressed. I then asked her what she thought it meant. What followed was one of the more insightful views into Scripture I have ever heard as she related this verse to an experience she had the previous week. She told me lifting your hands wasn't just about worship, it was about being willing to do what God told you to do (even if you didn't want to). If you wanted God to "fix things" (her words not mine), you had to give your hands to God and do things His way. Think about that for a few minutes -- I was stunned.
My conversation with Amanda was a great example of what Paul meant when he said, "mutually encouraged by each other's faith." That morning I was blessed by a sermon taught by my eight year old daughter on the way to church! Why? Because we spent our time together in the Word.
Questions to Ponder:So how do we become "mutually encouraged by each other's faith"? It's simple -- by sharing and discussing Scripture. Be honest, how often do you actually sit down with another Christian to share and discuss Bible verses, answers to prayer, or results from faithful obedience to God's will? I can say I do that almost daily and I am hugely blessed every single time. Do you need some mutual encouragement? Then spend time with other Christians, just don't waste it talking baseball scores or the latest economic news.