Encouraging

 

For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth. Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you,  knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me.  Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease. – 2 Peter 1.12-15

 

Peter knew the importance of constantly reminding the saints of the importance of the things he had taught them and was teaching them.

 

Though his task was an apostolic task I think we can learn from the importance of reminding each other and encouraging each other in the word of God. It can be discouraging to try to live godly this present age. Sometimes we can feel like we are all alone in trying to do it.

 

That’s why we need each other to remind each other why we do it.

 

Recently I had this happen. I had been posting some frustrations about the lockdown and limitations and how must it was bothering me.

 

A dear sister in Christ from our very earliest days in sent me a message. To remind and encourage me. She reminded of how when Paul was in prison things were not going the way he planned. He could have easily been angered and frustrated. Instead though he wrote that the things that had happened had been for the furtherance of the gospel. She remined me that while we are still locked down God has used this to expand our ministry through the internet in ways we could not imagine. He gentle, sweet encouragement was what I needed to remind me to focus on God and not on me.

 

That’s just the kind of thing that we all should be doing for each other. As I was working on this my brother-in-law sent his daily encouragement in our WhatsApp chat.

 

We need all this we can get and all we can give.

 

Saturday 27 March 2021