Our Ability to Live Our Purpose is Fueled by Encouragement—from the Father and from Others

As the church, we are NOT an institution. We are FAMILY.

 In Grace for the Moment, author Max Lucado says about Romans 12:10:

“Common belief identifies members of God’s family. And common affection unites them. Paul gives this relationship rule for the church: “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.” The apostle plays the wordsmith here, bookending the verse with fraternal twin terms. He begins with philostorgos (philos means friendly; storgos means family love) and concludes with philadelphia (phileo means tender affection; adelphia means brethren). An awkward but accurate translation of the verse might be have a friend/family devotion to each other in a friend/family sort of way. If Paul doesn’t get us with the first adjectives, he catches us with the second. The church is God’s family. You didn’t pick me. I didn’t pick you. You may not like me. I may not like you. But since God picked and likes us both, we are family.[i]

 We need encouragement (exhortation).

…encouragement is feedback—positive feedback.[ii] Exhortation is an urging, advising, earnest cautioning with the goal not only of encouraging but also a gentle push toward growth/maturity/health.

 Research tells us:      

            In the face of negative events, our brains struggle to perform at their highest—or even normal—capacity. Our prefrontal cortex, the brain’s “executive center” is pushed aside so the amygdala can take over and prepare the body for crisis. This shift in control to the low road favors automatic habits, as the amygdala draws on knee-jerk responses to save us.    When we’re stressed or scared, for instance, we struggle to think clearly, to coordinate well with others, to take in new information and to come up with new ideas. Even existing routines suffer, as our concentration is taken over by our negative emotions.   The more intense the pressure, the more our performance and thinking will suffer. [iii]

 We, individually, collectively as those who work with and at churches, and corporately as church bodies, have been under intense pressure for years now from all sorts of things—politics, pandemic, people, turnover, etc.

 In the midst of this pressure, the Father continues to give us endurance and encouragement. 

Romans 15:5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had,

2 Thessalonians 2:16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,

 And we are to do the same for each other

            Colossians 2:2 My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ,

            1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

            Philemon 1:7 Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.

Guided Prayer—receiving:

Be devoted to one another in love is from the larger passage of Romans 12—which starts out with the exhortation (encouragement) to offer ourselves…the whole of ourselves…to the Lord as sacrifice and worship, not conforming to the world.  The passage goes on to talk about the church as the Body of Christ…and that each of us is essential to the functioning of the body—many parts, one purpose, different gifts, one family.

 Then, we see the section from which came “be devoted to one another in love”…and it’s titled “Love in Action” in the NIV. Use this this week as your own prayer of reflection. Begin in silence…then pray each verse or phrase followed by a pause as you take it in and allow God to speak to your heart, mind, soul, and spirit:

 Pray:  9 Love must be sincere. [Pause.]

 Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. [Pause.]

 10 Be devoted to one another in love. [Pause.]

 Honor one another above yourselves. [Pause.]

 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. [Pause.]

 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. [Pause.]

 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. [Pause.]

 Practice hospitality. [Pause.]

 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. [Pause.]

 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. [Pause.]

 16 Live in harmony with one another. [Pause.]

 Lord, make us these kinds of people.

Amen.

 Shirley Giles Davis, author of the God. Gifts. You. Your Unique Calling and Design workbook, Your Unique Design Class Guide, Your Unique Design Facilitator Guide, and Gifts-Calling-Purpose blog, is a consultant, coach, facilitator who has worked with faith-based organizations, nonprofit agencies, and leaders in a diversity of fields for over 30 years. She has also been EquipConnectServe Director at her 1,200 member church since 1999.  Contact Shirley.

Photo © Shirley Giles Davis, All Rights Reserved.

[i] Page 128, Grace for the Moment, Max Lucado.

[ii] From The Encouragement Index

[iii] Why Positive Encouragement Works Better Than Criticism, According to Science  by Belle Beth Cooper, Jan 13, 2014, Last updated: Jan 29, 2016 (edited); https://blog.bufferapp.com/why-positive-encouragement-works-better-than-criticism-according-to-science