Legos are my favorite toy by far. I remember how much I loved getting new Lego sets as a child. Following the instructions. Completing a model. Displaying it. Playing with it. Then eventually tearing it apart and combining it with other sets to make new creations. Legos engage a person’s hands, mind, and heart.
Frankly, building with Legos was not just a childhood hobby. I loved building Lego sets with my kids, when they were young. I remember the twinge of disappointment I felt when my kids entered their teen years and stopped building with Legos on a daily basis. Now my grandkids are nearly old enough to build with Legos. My opinion, you’re never to old to build with Legos.
Likewise, if you are a Christian, you are always a builder.
Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
That first word, “therefore,” connects the preceding material with what he about to say. What was that preceding material? In the previous posts this week, we studied 1 Thessalonians 5:5-10. Let me summarize those verses: We Christians always live ready for Jesus’ return by overflowing with faith, hope, and love, because we have union with Christ.
Therefore, what do we do? We encourage and build one another up.”
What “one another” reminds is that we are not alone. Who are your friends in your church family. Think about your Sunday School class, your Bible study, your care group. How do you encourage and build them up?
Are you talking about your relationship with God with those friends? Is your union with Christ impacting your interaction with your friends?
When we Christians gather, whether it is on Sunday, or at small group, on outside of a church setting, or whether we are on social media conversing, we encourage and build one another up, showing faith, hope, and love to one another. In the good times, and in the difficult times.
When you are getting ready for a church gathering, may that be your prayer, “Lord, I want to encourage and build up whoever I talk with. You are with me, help me”
When you are coming to a church meeting at the end of a long day, may that be your prayer, “Lord, help me share faith, hope, and love to my church family.”
When you are seated around the dinner table or living room or in the car with your family, may that be your prayer, “Lord, I have union with you, help me share your love with my family.”
What Paul has described for us are followers of Jesus who cultivate close relationships with God, so that the good life of God flows out abundantly to all around them.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Engaging Scripture 