Mutual Encouragement

A dear friend of ours used to jokingly say, “Be encouraged!” when things just couldn’t get any worse. It was our way of laughing at the unbelievable pressure of a given situation when there was no prospect of an immediate solution or relief.

There are some among us who are naturally gifted encouragers. They have a knack for seeing the best in people in calling it out of them. They challenge others. They reassure. They inspire hope and confidence, emboldening and stimulating those around them to reach for more. To keep trusting God, even when He seems far away and silent.

But even for those of us who are not prone to encouragement, we are called to it. Just as not everyone has the gift of generosity, but we are all called to give. Not all have the gift of celibacy, but all are called to purity. Encouragement is energy – a deep breath to gather strength to continue – that keeps the body of Christ moving. It implies deep connections and participation in the lives of people God has surrounded us with.

As I’ve contemplated encouragement recently, I’ve been thinking of some people who encourage me. Here’s a brief, but heartfelt list (by no means complete) of ways my spirit has been urged along in life:

• Authors – Political, religious, and secular writers make me think beyond conventional wisdom and theology. Whether the thought comes from an author/pastor or a political extremist, God’s truth is strong and can bear up under the scrutiny of inquiring minds. I am encouraged by those who have taken the time and energy to question the status quo and urge me to do the same.

• Sure Friends – I have friends who are very sure of their beliefs and of theological issues and they encourage me to dig deep into what I believe Scripture says. I’m not threatened by their confidence; I’m inspired by it.

• Vulnerable Friends – A have a few friends, conversely, who encourage me by their very struggle to do the right thing and hear God in the midst of their struggles. I’m honored that one young friend in particular allows me to participate in her process as she looks at tough personal issues, trying to seek God and please Him, as she begins her relationship with Him. I want to do that, too.

• Active Friends – These friends live by the Nike slogan – “Just Do It”! My husband thought he could do what he was doing better on his own than working for someone else. So he started his own business. My best friend felt God prompting her to get involved with the poor so she organized a multi-church food drive and began tutoring in an adult literacy program. One friend (I love this!) chooses one Cuppa Joe lesson and gathers a group of women from her church once a month to discuss it in a coffee shop.

Here are a couple of bites of Scripture that have had me thinking this week. See what they stir up in you:

¹¹I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— ¹²that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith. (Romans 1:11-12, NIV)

²⁴And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. ²⁵Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25, NIV)

In the verses from Romans, Paul reveals his very relational and passionate tendencies in doing God’s work. He often tells the recipients of his letters how much he loves and misses them, and the beginning of his letter to the Roman Christians is no exception. And his desire to impart some spiritual gift to make them strong isn’t hubris; it’s from God. He doesn’t want the instruction or encouragement to be one-way. He wants his experience with this group of believers to be mutually encouraging. That’s kingdom life in community! To be encouraged by each other’s faith. I hope my belief in God and what I’m learning in my time in Scripture will lead me to live my life and speak words that encourage you to press into Him. To make you want to pursue God more passionately and live more purposefully. And I want that from you, too.

The writer of Hebrews challenges us to be proactive in considering how we can encourage one another. He uses a word in the NIV that doesn’t occur anywhere else in the Bible: spur on. Look at these other translations of the same passage:

²⁴And 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. (ESV)

²⁴And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

²⁵Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. (KJV)

Stir up. Provoke. Maybe part of the encouragement process might be uncomfortable. What do you think? It might be hard to encourage someone in an area of her spiritual journey that gets messy. Or that you don’t understand completely. Or makes you have to say things that are true, but hard to hear. Yes, encouragement can mean saying, “You can do it!” But it can also mean saying, “Stop doing this!”

We are meant to live in community. That’s not just a Christian thing. That’s a human thing. We are social creatures and sometimes society gets stuck. (That’s an understatement, isn’t it?) In the body of Christ, we can encourage one another in all the ways – big and small – that make us more like the people God created us to be.

• Who has encouraged you in your faith or in your pursuits recently? Who makes you think harder and dig deeper? Who are you doing that for? Ask God to reveal those relationships this week.

• Where would you go in Scripture to encourage someone in the following areas:

~ Forgiveness ~ Marriage struggles ~ Injustice

• How has “Cuppa Joe” encouraged you? What lessons have challenged you? What did you do with that?

Joy!

This past Sunday was the third Sunday of Advent. The candle on the Advent wreath is a different color than the others, and it represents joy. If your church tradition embraces the liturgical year and its trappings you may have witnessed someone lighting the pink candle in your congregation last week. There is anticipation and preparation of Christ’s advent – His incarnation among us – at this time of year. There is also joy. Joy in the wrapping of gifts, cozy fireside chats, and festive parties to celebrate the season. But the joy of knowing and following God goes beyond the time of year when we remember Jesus’ birth. As Christians this is an apt time of year to remember that we are receiving “the goal of our faith; the salvation of our souls”. (1 Peter 1:9) That’s why we can be filled with “inexpressible and glorious joy” when we anticipate and prepare for an encounter with Christ at Christmas.

But for some, struggles don’t let up just because it’s Christmas. In fact, when going through a rough patch, the holiday season can intensify the feelings of pain or disconnectedness and make the lights and music feel jarring because of the internal turmoil over circumstances. How can we find joy in any circumstances? Why are we instructed to look for this aspect of fruit from the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives and how can we participate?

I came across an unlikely scenario describing joy this week in my reading of Nehemiah. And because I had just spent time preparing a short devotional for church on the joy candle of the advent wreath, my reticular activating system was highly attuned to notice references to it. In addition to the more common Bible verses about joy, these descriptive situations reminded me of my role in participating in acquiring joy.

Here’s the background story: Nehemiah has returned to Jerusalem to assess the damage to the walls and the city and to come up with a plan of action to return things to their former function. Ezra the priest has already been back in Jerusalem from exile for some time, working on rebuilding the temple. Once both structures had been completed and a genealogical record of the families who had returned had been taken, everyone gathered to hear Ezra read from the Law that God had given Moses in the desert. Before we look specifically at the joy passages, take a moment to appreciate the setting as Ezra stands before the people with God’s Word:

¹ …all the people assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel.

² So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. ³ He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

⁴ Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion. …

⁵ Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. ⁶ Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, "Amen! Amen!" Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. (Nehemiah 8:1-5)

In my head I’m singing the song from the movie “Flashdance” right now… “What a feeling!” What anticipation! What energy! What stamina to stand listening to someone read Scripture for several hours! Think they had a vested interest in what Ezra had to say after living in a foreign land among a foreign people for a whole generation? I believe the people were not only listening attentively; I believe that they were starving for the truth and the cultural relevance that only God’s Word could provide to them at that time. They weren’t just interested – they were desperate. That’s a perfect time to assess the reality of a situation and of a relationship with God. Nothing to lose and hearts ready for God to interject Himself. Been there? Yeah, me too.

Now for the joy. The people weren’t feeling it at first. What they heard made them weep out of conviction and grief for their years of disobedience and separation from God. But that wasn’t God’s purpose for the gathering. Look at how it plays out:

⁹ Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, "This day is sacred to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep." For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

¹⁰ Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:9-10)

Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength. Do you love it?! How can we participate in entering into joy? By facing our weakness and appropriating His perfect strength! Joy is not choosing phony happiness and smiles in our pain. It’s finding a solid foundation underneath our pain to buoy and strengthen us because our core truths are never compromised. It’s an eternal perspective that never loses sight of our eternal blessings, which are ours now. Look at how Paul says it:

⁹But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. ¹⁰That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

There is joy in weakness.

But wait. There’s more. Since the political and religious leaders had encouraged the people to celebrate instead of mourn, they found yet another reason for joy:

¹² Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them. (Nehemiah 8:12)

God’s commandments to us are always good and always for our provision and protection. Intellectual assent to that fact without full understanding and conviction doesn’t equal joy. But there is deep satisfaction in the knowledge and assimilation of God’s values and directives for our lives.

There is joy in understanding God’s Word.

Don’t good things come in 3’s? There’s one more. The next day the people discovered, through reading more of the Law, that they were supposed to be celebrating by building little temporary structures and living in them. (For more information on The Feast of Booths (or Tabernacles) go to Deuteronomy 16:13-17 and http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday5.htm.) So guess what they did?

The whole company that had returned from exile built booths and lived in them. From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great. (Nehemiah 8:17)

Admitting weakness leads to a hunger for God’s truth. God’s truth is meant to be understood. And ultimately, our understanding is meant to lead us to life change – obedience. Yes, the people are happy to be back in Jerusalem, observing the customs and festivals prescribed in the Law. But their real joy comes from being in the center of God’s plan for them.

There is joy in obedience.

There is joy in understanding God’s Word.

There is joy in weakness.

Come, Lord Jesus. Make our joy complete by infusing us with your Spirit and your perspective.

• In which of these three areas have you experienced joy? Where is it a particular challenge? How could you bring that to God in prayer this week?

• Read John 16:17-24, James 1:2-4, and 1 Peter 1:3-9. What are the catalysts that lead these writers to direct us to respond with joy? How is that possible? What does that look like in your life?

• When is joy most difficult for you to identify? Where can you go in Scripture to give you encouragement or information you may benefit from in your spiritual journey?

Stimulus and Response

You may be familiar with the terms “stimulus and response” from science or psychology classes you’ve taken over the years. Pavlov and his slobbering dogs, fight or flight reactions, and foot in mouth syndrome are all examples of instinctual and learned behaviors by organisms (animals and people) in reaction to some stimulus, or change in their environment. Sometimes the reactions are appropriate and the response fits perfectly with the stimulus. Other times (I’m thinking of how many times I didn’t stop to think about what I was going to say in the heat of the moment and stuck my foot in my mouth) the response time needs an extension for the environment of the organisms involved to improve.

Nehemiah gives us a beautiful picture of prolonging that precious time between stimulus and response to allow God to enter into our circumstances and interject His perfect perspective before we respond. We’re going to walk through a bigger chunk of Scripture for this lesson so we don’t miss the progression of Nehemiah’s situation. Here’s the setup:

¹ The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah:

In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, ²Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.

³ They said to me, "Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire."

⁴ When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. (Nehemiah 1:1-4)

Some historical context may be in order. A this point the exile that many Old Testament prophets had spoken of has happened and Nehemiah is in Susa, one of the Persian cities where the king, Artaxerxes, has a palace. Nehemiah is Jewish, and in the service of the Persian king. Some Jews had already begun to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple under the direction of Ezra around 538 B.C. Hanani, another Jew who had been to Jerusalem to know what condition it was in, gave a pretty discouraging report to Nehemiah concerning the state of the city walls and its inhabitants. And despite the fact that Nehemiah must have been in a foreign land in exile for some time at this point, he still has an emotional connection to the capital city of his faith, as is evidenced by his emotional reaction to the news Hanani brings. So far, fairly relatable, wouldn’t you say? Nehemiah gets bad news and cries over it. In fact the sadness and heaviness of what he’s heard lingers for days. That’s happened to me before. You? So what does Nehemiah do next?

⁵ Then I said:

"O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, ⁶ let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed against you. ⁷ We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.

⁸ "Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, ⁹ but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.'

¹⁰ "They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. ¹¹ O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man." I was cupbearer to the king. (Nehemiah 1:5-11)

Nehemiah cries, then he prays. Ever done that? Me, too. How he prays is worth looking at, but we’ll save that for another time. Look at how Nehemiah interacts with the king now that he’s all prayed up for his confrontation:

2 ¹ In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before; ² so the king asked me, "Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart."

I was very much afraid, ³ but I said to the king, "May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?" (Nehemiah 2:1-3)

Artaxerxes must be Persian for “reads people well”. Or could it be that he was particularly observant because God was answering Nehemiah’s prayer about granting him favor in the king’s presence? Regardless of the reason, Nehemiah is emboldened to respond transparently to the king, undoubtedly encouraged by his time in God’s Presence before the conversation began. But here’s the slow motion stimulus-response scenario that puts me to shame:

⁴ The king said to me, "What is it you want?" Then I prayed to the God of heaven, ⁵ and I answered the king, "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it." (Nehemiah 2:4-5)

The king asks a crucial question. “What do you want?” And before Nehemiah blurts out a plan he may have even felt quite certain that God had put in his heart, aware of the inherent risk of being turned down, he goes back to God, mid-conversation, before responding. Take a moment to drink in this wisdom from the king’s cupbearer: Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered. How frequently does that occur in your emotionally charged conversations with people? I can tell you that it’s not nearly often enough in mine. But I’m challenged to try it when I see how it worked out for Nehemiah. Take a look:

⁶ Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, "How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?" It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.

Success! Now, I need to tell you that the rest of the book of Nehemiah doesn’t exactly depict an effortless endeavor without opposition. However, it does give a dramatic picture of a leader determined to follow through on the plan God has allowed him to put into place, in spite of the opposition, because his life’s pattern is one that consults God frequently, even if it means stopping to re-evaluate in the midst of a conversation.

How much of what Nehemiah models is present in your interactions with people?

• Process: Nehemiah pauses to acknowledge and process very real emotions as a reaction to his sad news. He takes the time necessary to identify his sadness and grieve over the circumstances.

• Praise: Going to God immediately with an honest heart was significant to the events that followed for Nehemiah. It is no different with us. After a time of wallowing, we do well to get some perspective from God by giving Him glory for who He is. When we are reminded of His power, His sovereignty and His love for us, our emotions become aligned with the truth of our situation as He sees it.

• Proceed: Once Nehemiah heard from God and was certain of His plan, he had courage to propose the idea to the king. Ready for action once he had clarified his priorities and connected with God, Nehemiah has the courage to speak boldly to restore God’s city to its former glory. We were not given a spirit of timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline, the apostle Paul tells Timothy. (2 Timothy 1:7) With God’s blessing, we can be bold!

• Pause: the most important step of Nehemiah’s progression here is that he went back to God at every turn, relying on Him to navigate the potentially tricky conversation. There is almost always time to take a deep breath and say a quick prayer for the right words or instantaneous laryngitis. God will honor those prayers and help us keep our words full of grace and respect.

As human beings we are not obligated to live our lives solely by instinct. We can learn behaviors that stretch that time between our stimuli and our responses. And when we do, God can enter into our everyday lives to guide us and mold us into His image. And we’ll spend less time regretting hasty words or actions because God’s Spirit is prompting us along the way. Thanks be to God!

• Read Nehemiah 1:5-11. What elements do you notice in his prayer? How can you use that model to refresh your prayer life when communicating to God this week?

• What ways have you discovered to invite God into everyday situations that you face? In what areas might you need to discover some new ways?

• How natural is it for you to process and / or identify raw emotions with God in prayer when you are feeling intensely about a situation? How can Nehemiah’s example encourage you in that area? If you know someone who models this well, you may want to talk with her this week about how she does it.

Little Man in Jericho

I was surprised to learn this week that my husband did not grow up learning, “Zacchaeus was a wee little man and a wee little man was he. He climbed up in the sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see. And when the Savior passed his way, He looked up in the tree. And He said, Zacchaeus, you come down. For I’m coming to your house today… for I’m coming to your house today.” Was it a Lutheran Sunday School thing?

Because I’ve known the story of Zacchaeus all my life, it’s always a challenge not to skim over it when I come across it in my devotional time. I know he’s a wee little man and that Jesus came to his house. So? But this time God spoke differently to me. Take a look at the story, as if for the first time, and see if you notice anything you may not have seen before:

¹Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. ²A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. ³He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. ⁴So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

⁵When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." ⁶So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

⁷All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.' "

⁸But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."

⁹Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

(Luke 19:1-10)

Zacchaeus was a tax collector living in Jericho during the days of Jesus’ ministry on earth. The city was prominent and strategic in the Roman world at the time this story takes place. And the people there were no stranger to up and coming religious preachers, as John the Baptist had been ministering at the Jordan River within sight of Jericho. Zacchaeus was certainly aware of the spiritual climate among the people from whom he collected taxes, and Jesus’ visit to the city would have caused curiosity, at the very least.

What does Zacchaeus have to show us about interacting with Jesus? Here are a few things God brought to my attention:

1) Jesus took the initiative. He always does. He came to where Zacchaeus was and had clearly already been working in his heart for the response to be so dramatic once they finally met. He entered the home of a ‘sinner’ and praised his faith. Zacchaeus’ sin didn’t threaten Jesus’ holiness and neither does ours. He seeks us and wants us to understand and love Him.

2) Zacchaeus had a positive response to Jesus. He ran ahead (verse 4), he came down at once and welcomed Him gladly (verse 6). Do I joyfully anticipate God’s activity? Am I excited to spend time with Him? Or have I become calloused, complacent or contemptuous enough to be distracted with other activities while my Savior passes by?

3) His priorities shifted immediately. Look at how quickly Zach relinquishes his hold on what must have been a very lucrative career fleecing the people while collecting taxes for Rome: “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Hebrew law required that full value + 1/5 be given in restitution for wrongfully gotten gain. (Numbers 5:6-7) But when Jesus touches our hearts, He often sets the bar above and beyond the legalistic rules we’re accustomed to following, and when our relationship with Him is what it should be, that doesn’t seem too much.

4) Zacchaeus’ transformation demonstrates God’s purpose. Jesus takes great joy in announcing that salvation has come to the house He has visited because of Zacchaeus’ faith, evidenced by his actions. Jesus came to save the lost, not pat the righteous on the back. When one of those lost souls fully grasps Jesus’ identity and experiences His love and forgiveness, they are eternally changed. That’s God’s business.

Do you see yourself in Zacchaeus? He is open to Jesus’ activity in his life. He welcomes Jesus into where he lives and is willing to sacrifice what is most precious to him to show his gratitude. He anticipates Jesus being around and looks for His Presence. In his understanding of Jesus, Zacchaeus is willing to come down from his perch where he observes Jesus, and enters into an authentic relationship where he takes the risk to be changed. Honestly, I have lots of days when I’m content to just gaze at Jesus from afar, contemplating His character and potential activity, but doing nothing myself to come closer and take the risk that I may have to change. I think God’s calling me to more. I want the enthusiasm and openness to welcome Jesus into every area of my life and jump with both feet into what He has for me. Don’t you?

• Read Matthew 12:33 and James 2:17. How do these verses relate to Zacchaeus and his experience with Jesus? How do you see it play out in your own life?

• Read Luke 23:39-43. What does the man talking to Jesus have in common with Zacchaeus? How is he different?

• How would you describe your attitude toward Jesus recently? Have you been anticipating time in His Presence? Are you gazing from a safe distance or are you ready and willing to come to where He is, at His invitation, to fully engage in life as He intends you to?

• Are there any areas of your life that need restitution? People you’ve wronged in the past? Half-truths that need to be clarified for the health of a relationship? Ask God to give you specific direction as to what that might look like.