-Rev. Ryan Clore
Ephesians 4:11-12, 16
"11The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ…16from whom the whole body, joined and knitted together by every ligament with which it is
equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love."
-1 Thessalonians 5:11
"Therefore, encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing"
My favorite professional sports team to cheer for historically has been the Washington Redskins (soon to be Redhawks?). (I’ve been trying hard to make the switch to becoming a Panthers fan, but they sure haven’t made it easy.) I have learned in watching the NFL that when things are going well there is plenty of praise to go around – the coach, the quarterback, the offense, the defense, etc. After a victory, the team rides the high and they warmly congratulate one another. But when the team is losing, the fans, the media, and even the coaches and players begin to place blame on individuals within the system. I guess this is to be expected in a cutthroat game where the main objective is to win. The good news for us is the church is not a “cut-throat” organization. And the individuals within the church are not focused on winning! If winning and/or being the best is our focus, then it’s easy to imagine how the church might come to function like a professional sports program – congratulating one another on victories and criticizing one another and placing blame when things don’t go as planned. Fortunate for us, Jesus didn’t call us to “come in first” or “be the best.” He instructs us to love one another, specifically by serving others and putting others above ourselves. We live in an age when churches are stretching their resources and individuals within the system are feeling a growing sense of discouragement. Now, as much as ever, we need to encourage one another! If our efforts aren’t producing fruit then, perhaps, we will find encouragement in the words of Thomas Edison, when he said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” If our efforts don’t produce fruit then we don’t need to give up, we just need to redirect our efforts – encouraging and building one another up along the way! “You’re really doing a great job!” “You really have a warm spirit about you!” “I want to thank you for all of your hard work!” “We couldn’t do what we do without you!” “I’ve recently noticed how much you do around here!” The previous phrases can never be overstated in the local body of Christ. It’s ironic really – because it seems the more discouraged we become, the more we tend to discourage the people around us. But the thing we benefit the most from when times get tough is encouragement from others.