A Healthy Home Base — A LifeWords Devotion

Hebrews 10:24-25

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. (NLT)

It is sad when followers of Jesus become disconnected individuals, privatising their faith journey. We do need each other and that entails meeting with others. It is not always easy or possible, but it needs to be a high priority in any case.

What can make it hard is when “church” becomes yet another grinding demand on our already demanding lives. When our meeting together becomes a bit like a marketing campaign, urging us to get out and about in order to boost our numbers or to staff our programmes.

Of course, we are properly urged to live out our lives beyond the church walls. But we best to that if we belong to a community which encourages and motivates us. And that motivation does not simply come in the form of urgent or eloquent appeals by a passionate preacher.

The church is a community of the broken and wounded and we need some healing, some care, some kindness. Not simply to lick our wounds, but to be brought to a position of some spiritual health so that the good news of Jesus which we are to share with others is firstly good news to us.

Our evangelism is to arise out of our edification. Healthy, supportive churches are needed if we are to connect with those who are not yet members. Those seeking Jesus find him best amongst those who belong to such churches. So, we need to do “inreach” if we are to “outreach”.