Sometimes in life God throws us into difficult and challenging situations long before we would have ventured to step out on our own. Such is case for my wife and myself right now at First Baptist. We moved here almost 9 months ago, and now we find ourselves in positions we never thought possible. Honestly, this time last year we have circumstances that we thought were about as stretching as we could handle. Last May, I was a recent graduate of Wheaton Graduate School, and my wife was just completing her degree at Moody Bible Institute. I was working part time, and flooding the postal system with resumes, making contacts, and basically just networking to find a job. You see, we were engaged to be married in just three short months, and I had yet to find a job. But we believed that we were in the center of God's will and had been seeking Him throughout our relationship together. He had led us to this point, so we really had no reason to doubt that He knew what He was doing. He has been guiding and looking out for us each step of the way. It's always a comfort to know that someone has your best interest at heart. That after-all is the main point of God's Law-filled instruction in the Old Testament. Jesus summed it up well that the whole of the Old Testament stood upon two commandments: 1) Love God with all that you are, and 2) Love your neighbor just as you love yourself. Even though we trust the Lord to take care of us as we move along life's path and have complete confidence in Him, it still is a fact of life that often the Lord uses people as instruments in helping us along the way. I appreciate all the friends and members of the church who have compassionately and purposefully extended grace to both Kristine in our few short months here. We truly feel blessed that so many are looking out for our best interest as we do the same for theirs. We all are in need of help in living the Christian life faithfully, and we all need encouragement along the way. I could be sit here all afternoon and list people that have been incredibly helpful to us, as we have transitioned into marriage, a new home, a new town, a new job, and now even more responsibilities in service to our King. With the topic of encouragement in mind, I would like to take the opportunity to share a little about what the Bible has to contribute on the topic of encouraging our brothers and sisters in Christ. It comes from a little book that we probably don't spend too much time on given its small size. The book of 3 John gives us insight into the relationship between the apostle John and his friend Gaius. John sets out to encourage his brother in Christ, and I believe he sets a great example for us today. We find this insight primarily in vs. 1-6.
First, John begins in vs. 1 by calling Gaius, his "friend." John repeats it 4 times in this, the 2nd shortest book in the English Bible. To say something 4 times throughout the letter, and to begin the letter by referring to Gaius as someone he "love(s) in the truth," shows the level of Christian fellowship that these two had. Whether or not we have someone in our life that we care for this much is not so important; rather, John sets the example of encouragement by affirming the Christian love that the Holy Spirit has caused to blossom in John for his brother in Christ. We too should affirm this love that we have for each other by demonstrating it. This can take shape in words of encouragement, acts of service, giving of a gift, spending quality time, or other simple actions that show the bond that we have in the Spirit. It doesn't take a grand gesture - just something simple.
Second, in vs. 2 we see that John prayed for his brother. And to go even further, John prayed for both the physical well being of Gaius - for health and safety - and for the well being of Gaius' soul. John is praying for physical blessing for Gaius during a turbulent time in church history. Christians were undergoing persecution for their faith, and John wants Gaius to be healthy and safe from harm. But John does not stop there. He further desires God to bless the bond that Gaius has to Christ in the Spirit. We can do so much to encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ by taking the time to get on our knees for their benefit petitioning God to give them physical and spiritual health in their life with Christ. And one of the best parts of praying for someone is getting to express to them that they have been held up in prayer. What great encouragement!
Third, in vs. 3-4 John expresses his joy at the obedience that he has witnessed in Gaius and the reports of faithful obedience to Christ that others have expressed about Gaius. Joy is one of those great characteristics of the Christian that is contagious. My wife is one of those people, and I know of many others, in which it is evident that the Spirit causes their joy to bubble over and spread to others around them. But we all can be people like that if we are asking the Spirit to fill us each day and to let us share that joy. One of the best ways to share it is to simply share the joy that we have about life with God, and then just watch what happens. It may be instant, or it may take time, but most likely joy will spring that person's life eventually if they are walking with the Spirit.
Fourth and finally, in vs. 5-6 John seeks to encourage Gaius by letting him know that John is aware of the efforts, service, and ministry that he has seen Gaius perform so well for others. There are many believers in our lives who are faithfully serving the Lord, through the power of the Spirit, and they need to be commended for their service to Christ and to others. And all we have to do is give them a heart-felt message that we see it and it that it makes a difference for Christ's kingdom. Let's not forget that ministry to others can be taxing and tiresome at times, and we all need a helpful commendation to keep us focused on Christ and the reason why we serve. John does just that for his friend, and with it we see a great example of how we can encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ.
In 3 John, the apostle gives us four helpful ways that we can follow his example to encourage someone in Christ today. And in a way, all four ways are part of the simple command that Paul gives in 1 Thess. 5:11, "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up....” Why not pick one of these examples and try it on someone you care for today. These are all efforts we can make to encourage our neighbors, and to fulfill the what Jesus says in Matt. 22:39, "Love your neighbor." and through it encourage them while also pleasing our Lord in the process. God bless you all and thank you so much for the encouragement that we have received along the way!
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