Whether we realize it or not, each and every one of us has a task to perform today. That task, according to the third chapter of the book of Hebrews, is to exhort (strongly encourage or urge a person to do something) our fellow believers to stay close to God. We have a responsibility to encourage each other in the faith and to care about the spiritual well-being of our fellow man.
Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. (Hebrews 3:12-13 NKJV)
Matthew Henry’s Concise Bible Commentary has this to say about verses twelve and thirteen and I have included this here because it is completely relevant and wise. “And there are none, even the strongest of the flock, who do not need the help of other Christians. Neither are there any so low and despised, but the care of their standing in the faith, and of their safety, belongs to all. Sin has so many ways and colors, that we need more eyes than ours own. Sin appears fair, but is vile; it appears pleasant, but is destructive; it promises much, but performs nothing. The deceitfulness of sin hardens the soul; one sin allowed makes way for another; and every act of sin confirms the habit. Let every one beware of sin.”
Those are powerful words of warning and wisdom that we would do well to heed. We are all responsible for each other and there is no such thing as a “solo” Christian. We were created to act in unity and to be a part of a vital, effective, corporate effort for God’s kingdom here on Earth.
Notice also the timetable given for our exhortation and encouragement: today and right now. This verse is given in the present tense and was equally applicable at the time Hebrews was written as it is right now. Our task is on-going and ever-present and we do this in order to save our brethren from being ensnared by the deceitfulness of sin. Many sets of eyes “on-guard” makes it much harder for the enemy to sneak up and cause trouble and we need our brothers and sisters in Christ to be our guardians each and every day.
In a practical sense, how do we accomplish this? It’s one thing to say “watch out for each other” but how exactly should we go about it?
We have to be connected to each other’s lives, we have to get to know one another and we have to be a consistent participant in our local body of believers. That’s the only way that this can work and it is exactly the way that God intended it to work.
We must pray for God to give us the discernment to see those folks around us who are in need of encouragement and for the right response to that need. Whether it be words of comfort or just an offer to pray with them at the altar we should be willing and available. This is a learning process and even if we feel overwhelmed and less than effective at the start it is something that we can improve over time, with God’s help. Even though we may know that we still have a long way to go to be the person that God wants us to be we can also confident that God is there to help us.
How seriously do we take the spiritual health of our friends and family? Are we praying for them? Are we encouraging them? If not, it’s time to get involved, with the Lord’s help.