Josh is one of my best friends. He and I have known each other since elementary school. We both went to Bible college and seminary. We are both fans of Cleveland sports. We’re both married. We both have kids. We haven’t seen each other that much, though, in the past ten years. He’s lived in Kentucky and Colorado. I’ve been in California, England, and Pennsylvania. Imagine my surprise and excitement when we discovered we were moving to the same state! We were both ecstatic! For the first time our families would be close enough to see each other.
Guess how many times we actually saw each other while living there?
Relationships and community take discipline. You’d think that spending time with those we love would be a no brainer, yet most of us aren’t disciplined enough to make it happen as often as we should. The same can hold true when we think about coming together as Christians. Consider the words of Hebrews:
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 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.
Hebrews 10:23-25 (ESV)
The temptation is to neglect meeting together, which leads into failing to encourage each other towards love and good works. Let’s reflect on how we can uphold our commitment to the truth of these verses in Hebrews.
Originally published in The Chime.
