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Bible Reading: Romans 12

Bible verse: “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another….” 1 Thessalonians 5:11, King James Version.

This past week, I met a family member at a local cafe for coffee. But before I proceed, let me go back a bit. Four years ago, after the release of my debut novel, I got a message from another author who had read my book. She remembered what it was like to be starting with that first book and felt God’s call to reach out. She not only became a tremendous mentor, encouraging me in my writing journey, reading and sharing my work, but little did either of us know that even more than her guidance as an experienced writer and even more than a friend… God had sent her to fill a much greater need in my life. For the last four years, through the roller coaster of life, she has been my sister in Christ. I felt her prayers and the love of Christ that flowed through her every word. In the body of Christ, she heeded the call on her heart, embraced her spiritual gift of exhortation, and modeled Romans 12:8. Yet because of the geographical distance between us, all our conversations were by text and email. But a few weeks ago, she informed me that she would be visiting an area a couple of hours from me and was adjusting her trip home to meet me in person. I cannot express how this gesture touched my heart… how I was brought to tears that I meant so much to her that she would drive far off her route to see me. So, last week, I met my amazing sister in Christ face-to-face for the first time. Yet, as we sat and talked, it was as if we had been talking face-to-face from the beginning. But why would that be surprising? We are family… the family of God.

When I think of examples of exhortation in the Bible, my thoughts go to Paul, especially in his relationship with Timothy. Paul took Timothy under his wing, and in 2 Timothy 1:2, Paul expressed the depth of his feeling for Timothy as he refers to him as his “… dearly beloved son….” Of all of Paul’s epistles, when I picture the setting and the context in which it was written, his second letter to Timothy clutches my heart and overwhelms me with emotion. Knowing his days on earth were few before he would be executed, Paul used those last moments to exhort Timothy in his faith. And one of his reminders to Timothy, I quote almost every morning: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 KJV

May we never forget to heed God’s calling on our hearts, use our spiritual gifts to glorify our Father, and encourage each other daily.