At the time I’m writing this, it’s the Christmas season. I don’t decorate too much because I’m cheap and lazy, but I do put stockings up for all six of us every year. Each year I put them up, it’s inevitable that one my children has an insatiable desire to gift a sibling a handmade item or second-hand gift from their own collection. One of them will go around the house like a squirrel collecting treasures to put into stockings. Then, with immense glee, he or she encourages the receiver to open their stockings to see what was gifted to them. When one sibling starts, eventually the others start in too. They start feeding off each other’s generosity and joy.
After watching this yesterday and receiving my own stocking full of miscellaneous trinkets, I was reminded of a verse in Hebrews 10:24-25 - “and let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 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.”
My children were encouraging one another simply by their actions. The other kids thought it would be fun to participate too, and so they did! Are we showing love and doing good works so that others can see and be encouraged? Have you ever thought about the impact your actions have on others? Some acts of love and good works are to be kept secret (Matthew 6:2-4), but your daily actions in the midst of your day should be full of love and good works. Let our brothers and sisters see us loving the coworker that is not the easiest to work side-by-side. What if instead of getting on social media to vent about our days, we share a story of how someone blessed you with their love and good deeds? You’ve seen those stories in the news or on Facebook where, in a drive thru, the person in front pays for the order behind them and then it keeps going down the line of cars; it’s like that. People are encouraged to do something nice because they saw someone else do it. Stirring up love and good works is contagious!
Did you read the last part of those verses? The Day is coming near! Jesus came once to earth already, but He’s coming again. It is because of Him we are able to love and do good deeds. It’s His empowerment. It was Jesus’ greatest act of love and goodness by dying on a cross for our sins that encourages us to love one another deeply. Every time we we act with love and goodness, we give glory to the King who is returning soon. We shout His love and goodness through our actions so that others will see His love for us before He returns.
Brothers and sisters, consider how you can encourage one another in love and good deeds today. Be contagious. Share the love and good works that He has shared with you. Maranatha!
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