Not an Option

The writer of Hebrews is encouraging God’s people to persevere in the midst of great hardship. They were meeting opposition from their government, their families, and their friends. They were surrounded by false teachers preaching in God’s name. God’s people had every opportunity to be discouraged and hurt by what was going on around them, so he encouraged them to meet together, speak truth to one another in love, and confront lies they may have been tempted to believe. Our Father knows if His church is to survive His people must come together.

When I was a child we had the most beautiful bushes outside our house. I loved to pick the multicolored flowers off the bushes and put them in a vase for our table. The only problem was they did not last very long. In a matter of days they wilted and died.

I think some of us are tempted to live like picked flowers. We try to live and function outside the body of Christ in isolation. The lie I hear most often is, “I don’t have to go to church to be a Christian.” Although we don’t have to meet in a traditional church building to be believers, in order to truly be a Christ follower we do have to be in community with other believers. Christ asks us to assemble in worship with other believers. It is not an option; it is an obedience issue. Trying to live on our own never goes well. It’s not long before we find ourselves believing lies when there is no one around to speak the truth objectively. No matter how passionate the believer, we all need someone who can see in us what we cannot. Satan has the ability to attack and hurt believers outside the church with great success because they have no one to fight in prayer alongside them.

Father, forgive me for the times I have neglected to meet corporately with other believers. Lead me to a group of Your people who will love and encourage me, women with whom I can be honest. Please use me as an encouragement in their lives as well. In Jesus’ name, amen.