Hebrews 10:24,25 Encourage Each Other
(Sonrise—the Son, Jesus, the Light of the World, is about to return!)
“We should keep on encouraging each other to be thoughtful and to do helpful things. Some people have given up the habit of meeting for worship, but we must not do that. We should keep on encouraging each other, especially since you know that the day of the Lord’s coming is getting closer” (CEV).
When I read these two verses, I see two slightly different connotations for the word “encouraging.” In verse 24, “encouraging” is specific, to two things. We are encouraged to be thoughtful of each other, and we are encouraged to do helpful things for each other. It is important that we do those two things. When we do them, we bless our friends and family. It is also important that we do these two things as a normal part of our lives so that others may notice and wonder or even ask why are we different from the world.
In verse 25, I get the idea that we are to be encouraging because of the condition of the world, or because of difficulties others may be experiencing. Living today can certainly be stressful, and satan uses every opportunity he can to raise doubts, worry, and fear in the hearts of many. Because we daily experience the love and care of our Lord, we are in a position to encourage many with the Good News of Jesus Christ, that He cared for each one of us enough that He died on a cruel wooden cross to offer eternal life and love to any who will accept it.
Even our Christian brothers and sisters need periodic encouragement because of the stresses and anxieties present in our lives here on the earth. Nations are fighting nations or threatening to attack other nations; crime on the streets is up to the point of concern about safety even in our own homes; many of todays’ entertainment offerings are violent or sexually explicit; disparagement of the founders of our nation is rampant; and disdain for our God is evident in many of today’s public utterances. We need to encourage each other with the many promises written in the Holy Bible for our enlightenment. (I like “light” in the middle of “enlightenment” because it points to the Light of the World, Jesus.)