Mindful Members

“See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” (Hebrews 3:12-13, NIV)

In the community of believers there is vital connection. We are not an organization but an organism. We are the body of Christ, and there is only one Head. No one operates in isolation. The words and actions of the individual affect the whole.

Sometimes we think that we are rugged individuals who can live, grow and bear fruit apart from others, but that is a delusion. As single members we are vitally connected via a network of members to the Head. And apart from Him and His body, we can do nothing. We cannot decapitate Christ by dividing the Head from the body.

The author of Hebrews draws our attention to this mutual responsibility we have for one another. This is not merely the task of a few special members. Each member of the body has this responsibility for every other member of the body. If your feet are able to move you out of the path of a falling rock, they benefit the entire body by their action. They would be remiss in their duty if they stood and did nothing.

Even so, we are to care for every other member of the body. If even one has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from God, it affects all the others. Therefore, we are to be diligent in our relationships to prevent that from happening. How do we do it? Every day we seek opportunities to encourage one another. Rather than finding fault we look for gifts, good works, faith and anything else we can find in others that we can affirm and encourage. I know in my life I have done more for every encouraging word than for ten words of criticism. But there also comes those times when from a loving heart we must rebuke sin. To fail to do so will ultimately harm every member of the body.

If we will make this our daily mission, then we will help others not to be deceived by sin. We know that unconfessed sin leads to hardening of the heart. Through active, daily encouragement and exhortation, we can keep the hearts around us tender to God and free from the deceitfulness of sin. This is no easy task, but for every effort we make it will yield a harvest of blessing for all!