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Consider how we may spur one another....
Hmmm.
Spurring someone doesn't seem like a wise thing to do.
Why I bet, being spurred kind of hurts.
Maybe it meant something nice in the Greek.
The Greek word for spur one another is paraxusmos. It means to incite, irritate, provoke, sharpen, spur.
Hmmm.
Spur means pretty much what it means in English.
So what could God mean when he encourages the church to consider how we may spur one another on.
There is an old African proverb that says "If you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go together."
You see, there's something about doing life with someone else that inspires and encourages people to do more.
When I used to work out, I always enjoyed working out with a workout partner more than I did working out alone. Because my work out partner would encourage me to do more. He would push me when I would feel like quitting. And I could do the same for him when he didn't feel like working out.
Together, we got stronger and pushed ourselves harder than we could on our own.
I think that's what God has in mind when he encourages us to spur one another on. We are to encourage each other to do more, to push harder.
Before ending this blog, I need to say that there is a fine line between spurring one another on, and spearing someone to death.
People in the church can do that. Instead of encouraging and inspiring someone to be better, we can kill their spirits by saying things like:
- Again? You did that again?! How many times are you going to make the same mistakes over and over?
- What's the matter with you?
- I knew you couldn't do anything right.
Friends, spearing churches kill faith.
We are called to encourage and push each other to be better, and we are to do it in a way that inspires and encourages.
And when the church does that, together we go further than if we were to do church alone.
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