Text Somebody Today

“But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” (Heb 3:13 AV)

 

Constant human contact is necessary for faithfulness unto holiness.  What struck me here is the whole daily part of it.  Paul is writing to the Jewish population to have daily contact with one another and exhort one another that sin does not gain a foothold in the lives of individuals as well as the church.  Paul challenges the average saint to get involved in the lives of others that others do not fall into sin.  He does not exhort them to be busybodies.  He is not asking them to delve into private matters that would not be the business of all.  He is challenging them to do one simple thing.  Have contact daily with fellow believers and exhort them that they feel they are not in the battle all alone.  Rather, when hearing the encouraging words of others, they become reinvigorated to fight the flesh, the devil, and the world.

One of the most memorable ball games I have ever been involved in was a little league game that went sixteen innings.  It was incredible.  We were running out of pitchers.  They were running out of pitchers.  The score went back and forth.  The coach asked me to work with those who were in line to bat next.  My job was to get them psyched up and do their best in the batter’s box.  We used an aid called a target swing trainer.  Basically, it was a baseball mounted on the end of a pole.  My job was to use that aid and train our batters how to watch a ball coming in so they would make contact.  We taught them to watch the top edge of the ball.  Not the center and most would do.  I brought the balls in straight, on a curve, on a drop, and mixed the speeds up.  As the batter became more and more accustomed to watching the top edge of the ball, he became more constant in his contact.  While we were doing this, the entire team who was not on the field was cheering on those in the game as well as the practicing batter.  We constantly told the boys we needed to hear chatter.  From the dugout to the field, each teammate needed to hear others that would influence them to succeed.  Our walk with Christ is not all that much different.

In our modern-day of multiple forms of communication, it seems we are growing apart more rapidly.  Before electronic communication, we relied on a face-to-face or a letter in the mail.  Since Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone we have the phone, email, texting, and instant messaging.  We have telegrams, video chats, and radio waves.  There are so many ways in which to stay in touch.  Yet, we grow apart ever more increasingly.  The electronic means by which we communicate, has instead, turned to the means to grow apart.  The phone, which could be used to speak or text, is taken up with entertainment far more frequently.  Video chats or meetings are rarer than a television program.  When we should be communicating with one another, we are entertaining ourselves away from human communication.  Paul asks the people of God to get involved with one another.  A simple text would do it.  No need to drag out an hour-long conversation every day with everyone we know.  A simple verbal touch to let others know you care and you want to encourage would go a long way.  So, instead of spending a half-hour trying to get the high score, go through your contact list and text someone a bible verse with a very short comment.  It may do more good than you will ever know.