Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Philippians 2:4

In his book, The Jesus I Never Knew, Philip Yancey tells of a man who was working in an inner city who encountered a woman who had been a prostitute.  She was in poor physical shape, homeless and unable to buy food for her two-year-old daughter.   The Christian worker asked her if she had thought about reaching out to the church to help.  “Church!” she said, “Why would I ever go there?  They’d just make me feel even worse than I already do!”

In many cases, she is right.

How often have we forgotten the instruction of scripture which says, “Let us [consider, or] think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works (Hebrews 10:24).

The phrase “let us consider” is an interesting one.  It comes from a word which is translated, “consider, think of; notice, observe, see; look; see through, be aware of.”  It means that a person uses his head and ponders the possibilities, then acts.

What might happen if every time you met someone—even for one day—you asked yourself, “What can I do to encourage this person?”  What could you think of that would help him along in life?  What kind of encouragement would you like to receive?

What you say may be what it takes to give someone the strength to go on after they’ve been beaten down, to reconsider Jesus and yes, even to give His people in the church, a second chance.

“Let us encourage one another,” are powerful words.

 

Resource reading: 1 John 3:1-24