Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following the same pattern of disobedience. Hebrews 4:11
Rest is the tangible expression of Jesus’s intangible presence in our lives. Being a storehouse of His encouragement is the definitive consequence of Jesus in our lives. It is from that storehouse that we share Jesus’ encouragement with the people and situations around us. So that instead of putting on a false cheer, we actually have a peace and encouragement that overcomes the discouragement (un-encouragement) in the world around us.
We’ve been talking for the past few weeks about being an encourager—which the Bible calls us to be. It’s part of walking in the fullness of all that is life in Jesus. It’s an important ingredient in abundant living. And for most of us it takes effort because this fight is not with a conventional enemy; it’s opposing the force of discouragement that hounds us from all directions.
This negative force shows up in our lives in all shapes and forms: Unconstructiveness, discouragement, and disapproval. So it’s a matter of the heart and from there comes our demeanor—our attitudes and the atmosphere around us. And our words—emotions and thoughts lead to words and actions.
When our mind is set on the unconstructive things it poisons everything else in our lives. Discouragement hangs over us like a cloud. Disapproval oozes from every pore. It’s a world that is hostile towards hope. And hopelessness feeds these negative qualities in a doubt-spiral.
It makes us miserable and miserable to be around. It denies the love and power of God in our life-circumstances.
The down-side of being a discourager is that it gives us all the more reason to set our minds on the Spirit where real life is found. And to be the encouraging presence that Jesus calls us to be requires a battle: Not a battle against reality, but a battle against the godless, cynical, depressing attitudes about reality.
One of my daughter’s birthdays is in a few days and I’ve gotten her something I know she’s going to love. I didn’t buy it for her so that she would like me. I got it because I like her…I enjoy making her happy. I can hardly wait to give it to her. But…if for some reason, she was the kind of person who was never satisfied…nothing made her happy…in time, I’d find it difficult to bother trying.
That’s what happened in the wilderness to the Israelites. God gave them all these phenomenal gifts and experiences only to find them grumbling and accusing Him of trying to kill them. Eventually, He said, “Enough. I’m not taking you into my rest” (Heb 3:11). That meant far more than missing out on the Promised Land…it meant missing out on His blessing, His presence, His encouragement. “Rest” was a representation for all that. And when He withdrew it, they were without hope.
I want to continue on this theme next time because I believe that it’s the reason why so many Christians are miserable, defeated, and cynical. It’s time to set these people free.