Strengthening and Encouraging

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

STRENGTHENING AND ENCOURAGING

Acts 14:21-28

21 They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," they said. 23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. 24 After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, 25 and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26 From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. 27 On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.

NIV

Although there is much here that is but a travel log, Luke records something that is a bit troubling. It seems strange to use the term encouraging and being told we must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God. Paul and Barnabas had already experienced some of that hardship when they were stoned and left for dead. They certainly had strong opposition to their preaching of the good news. We can understand why Paul said we must endure trouble, or because we believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior and through that relationship, we have been made citizens of heaven. That is our destination or promised land, and it is through the grace of God that we are saved. However, this trouble of hardship that we must endure can come to us in various forms of persecution. Being rejected by the world is one thing that should not bother us. There has been a general acceptance of people of some horrible ways. Still, there have been and will most likely continue to be those who strongly oppose Jesus and publicly proclaim their anti-Christian agendas. We recall a once professional athlete who became a governor who said that Christianity is nothing more than a crutch for weak-minded people. Perhaps the trouble that Paul refers to is the change that must occur within a believer’s life which incurs some form of difficulty leaving the world behind and walking the path of God. There are things we should not do, that we did as citizens of this world. When we abdicate our citizenship of this world and become a citizen of heaven, we could experience some strain or trouble overcoming various patterns or routines we are used to. Of course, we have the Spirit to help us, guide us, strengthen us, encourage us, urge us to forget that which is behind and press on toward the mark, the finish line, our goal, heaven. However, it is also good for us to encourage one another with words of faith. That may be easier said than done, as we look to the body of Christ. In many cases, we all simply gather to sit silent and listen to the local overseer, the pastor preach something relevant to our lives. Seldom do we hear words of faith spoken to each other, but rather things of interest in this world, such as sports, hobbies, weather, politics, or a politician, and the economy or some other mundane trivial and temporal matter. When we gather, should we not have encouraging words of faith for one another? Should we not be strengthening each other? That seems the right thing to do.