“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another…” —Hebrews 10:24-25a NIV
Welcome to the 41st weekly devotional recap of the year. This week, we learnt about some of the benefits of Christian community.
We began by learning that the people around us significantly influence the trajectory of our lives (Proverbs 13:20). In this world full of trials and temptations, the association you keep will either strengthen or weaken your faith. This is why God has given you the Church family to remind you of God’s Word when you doubt, strengthen you when you are weak, and uphold you in prayer. If your circle does not encourage you to pray, serve, and pursue holiness, you may need to reexamine it (1 Corinthians 15:33).
On Tuesday, we saw the place of the Church community in our growth in prayer (Hebrews 10:24-25). There will be days when you don’t feel like praying, but fellowship will keep you aligned. Sometimes, you may think you can only pray for ten minutes, but in a gathering, you’ll find that you can go on for an hour without feeling tired. Community stretches you, fuels you, and helps you grow. In the same way, you too are called to stir others up. You are called to a body where you should both receive and supply. Remember, iron sharpens iron.
We continued on Wednesday by learning about the role the Church plays in our growth in the Word. The local Church, an intelligent idea from God, is crucial for helping the believer grow in the Word (Acts 8:30-31). God gave ministry gifts to build and equip His Church, meaning that being planted in a local church is not just beneficial, but essential for your spiritual growth ( Jeremiah 3:15, Ephesians 4:11-12).
Thursday’s devotional showed us that God’s design is for ministry gifts to build up the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-12). Your spiritual leader is there to partner with you for your progress and joy in the faith (Philippians 1:25). They walk alongside you as guides and examples, helping you grow in your understanding and obedience to God’s Word. Through their teaching, encouragement, correction, and prayers, they nurture your spiritual growth and help you guard against falsehood (2 Corinthians 11:2-5) and move from infancy to maturity in Christ.
We ended the week with a reminder that as members of the body of Christ, our conduct must be distinctly different from the rest of the world. This is something to be mindful of because our actions have a substantial impact on others (Romans 14:13). Our profession of faith must be evident in our love walk (Philippians 2:2-3). The believer’s conduct should be marked with love in word and deed (1 John 3:18-19, Hebrews 10:24). By doing so, we set a positive example for the world and leave no room for unbelievers to blaspheme the Name of Jesus.
Dear believer, God has called you to be part of a beautiful family in Him. Lean on them, and let them be able to lean on you for fellowship, accountability, and growth. We can do so much more together!
Bible Reading Plan: Isaiah 65–66, Jeremiah 1–2; Hebrews 2:1–3:19