Genuine Love, pt. 4

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV)

The call to genuine love is also a call to involvement in other people's lives (corporate living). First, genuine love at its core demands that interaction take place. Obviously, we could not express the aspects of genuine love that have been discussed in previous posts without interacting with someone. However, genuine love also demands more than simple interaction. Corporate living requires participation in the lives of others. Interactions do not require participation. I can interact with someone without participating in their life, yet I cannot be involved without participating in their life. Therefore, I cannot genuinely love my brothers and sisters without participating in their lives. (Whether you are convicted at this point or not, I know that I sure am!)

Corporate living (or living with active participation) helps us in not being self-sufficient, in increasing humility, in decreasing selfishness, in adding strength to pursuits, and in living lives worthy of the gospel (Philippians 1:27). This is God's design for His people. I believe this to be a context that He uses to work in our lives, not that we are each other's source for the previous statements.

Application:

1. Do you actively and intentionally encourage?
I know that at times I wait until someone is put on my heart for me to encourage them. Yet, I would say that we should be always considering encouraging one another, and I have seen the fruit of that. I recommend using a planner and writing down names on certain days, perhaps one a week to start. "But I don't know what to say." Step out in faith that the Holy Spirit will direct your speech. God is faithful to corporate living because He is actively involved in our lives and calls us to active participation as well.

2. Do you stir?
In other words, are you a source for moving your brothers and sisters to love and do good works? What this means is that you are actively involved in spurring others on to live lives worthy of the gospel, to apply works to the faith they claim, and to correct as necessary. I submit the following analogy (if it so works):

Our fellow brothers and sisters are water in a pitcher. Love and good works are kool-aid. We are called to be spoons, to stir up love and good works in our brothers and sisters as kool-aid is stirred up in water. Yet, the spoon does not stir without a Stirrer (God) nor does the water or the spoon add the kool-aid, meaning God is our source of love and good works. We do not love or do any good works on our own.