Bonnie J Martin

encourage

Selfish for Him

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I am selfish. It is obvious by the prolonged silence I have in this space. The silence doesn’t represent periods of drought in my life. Well, not always. There are times of stale stagnation. But then there are times of rich learning and deep fellowship which I hoard.

So here we are. A crossroads if you will. The realization that the fellowship I have known, which I have selfishly held in isolation, is for you too. Can I, may I, share it with you? Will you enter into this fellowship with me? Perhaps you have experienced your own? I pray you have shared it with others and not selfishly hoarded it like I have.

God desires our fellowship. He knows each one of us intimately. He knows the most joyful and the most dreadful among us. He is creator, you know!

He waits patiently, even in chaos and struggle, He waits. In slanderous, back-biting political debates, He waits. In deceptive business deals, He waits. In gossip-filled church groups, He waits.

His waiting is for the truth-filled fellowship of those He has called. Sincere recognition of Him.

Yahweh. Jehovah. I Am. The Beginning and The End.

Waiting for your worship and fellowship. Waiting for your attention to be turned to Him.

Let me encourage you to worship daily. Fellowship with Him frequently. Even constantly. If you know Him, He is your constant companion. Become alert to Him.

Share with others, maybe even with me, the joy of your fellowship.

Muscle Memory

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So I reprimanded the officials and said, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” Then I gathered them together and restored them to their posts. Nehemiah 13:11 (NASB)

When you think of Nehemiah, do you think about rebuilding a wall? I think about the long list of people circling together to put back into place the crumbled mortar and scattered stones and splintered wood left behind from the enemy. I also think about the workers with a trowel in one hand and a sword in the other. I think about the cupbearer of a king being held in exile but given the liberty to return home for a task much larger than himself.

But what about after the wall was restored? How do people return to a place that hasn’t been home for many years? It was hard. Habits had been abandoned. Traditions only memories. 

Athletes talk about muscle memory. Training to get into shape. Teaching the body to accept hard things. Moving to breathe. Breathing to move. Building endurance. Strengthening core muscles to support posture.

Ask them what happens when they have to stop for a period of time. When they are pulled away from what they know, from what their bodies know, former abilities may fade. Without consistent practice strength lessens. Weakness develops. The body begins to change from lack of use.

Then ask them what happens when they return to training. The first day is hard. It may feel like you have never done it before. Your lungs burn. Legs shake. Arms desperately want to drop down. The weight is too much. The second and third day may bring to the workout sore muscles that really don’t want to be attacked again.

After the initial shock, the body begins to remember. Returning to dedicated practice restores what had been lost.

What practice have you abandoned? Nehemiah had to remind the people about what had been left abandoned. They had to put back into practice what had been forsaken. Dedicated return to what mattered.

Maybe the restoration looks different than before. But maybe its sweeter. Maybe returning to what was lost brings some muscle memory that protects from straining. Returning, reconditioning, restoring.

Have you had a set-back? Has something or someone kept you from being intentional for God? What restoration project do you need to tackle to return to the post God has for you? What practice will you implement to make it happen? 

Go do it.

Together

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Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. Hebrews 10:23-25 (NASB)

She knew it would hurt. Reaching over to touch the shoulder of another that had experienced a similar wound. It was a wound that couldn’t be seen. So many have had a similar wound. Only if you look closely in the eyes can you see it. Or if you purposely listen, you can hear it in their heart. You may have a wound that you keep hidden. Only allowing it to be seen by those closest to you. But others may need to see it in you. What can you share to help another?

He said the words we all needed to hear. He needed them too. When the pain becomes unbearable, find someone to help. Reach outside of the pain to lift someone else up. Give encouragement to another when there seems to be none for you. He knew the wound. He had experienced the grief. He was living it. But he knew encouraging others gives perspective. 

Memories flood from times past. Good and bad. The good we cherish and remember fondly. Brings smiles to our faces. We want to relive them. The bad causes us to sink. Brings doubts and fears to the surface. Not really sure what to do with them. Share both.

Encouragement goes a long way. Find someone to encourage today. It can’t be done sitting alone. There has to be action. Reaching out. Observing. Paying attention to needs. Inviting. Sharing. Being together.

Kingdom Work

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I originally wrote this post on August 28, 2020. I needed to read it again. I needed to admit it again. Maybe you do too. The following is the unedited original version of this post. I don’t know if the original had a title, but that has been added.

A few years back, I actively participated in “church.”  Yes, I placed this in quotes for a reason.  You see, I was part of a body of believers (otherwise known as a congregation or “church”) and felt it was my responsibility to pick-up and do my part within that congregation.  Bible studies, women’s conferences, VBS, nursery, children’s church, clean-up days, food pantry, short-term mission trips, Sunday school, finance committee.  I even prepared the weekly bulletin for a little while.  Whew!  Sounds exhausting!  Not really, just an active member within a functioning congregation.

But then life happens and boom!  I am no longer participating in any congregation. 

I think back to the food pantry days.  We would gather one Saturday each month.  Two goals of that mission were both centered around nutrition.  One being the nutrition of your soul.  Second being the nutrition of your body.  It was early on in that mission within that congregation that I met a man who had been hurt by a congregation and wanted nothing more to do with an organized body of believers.  He was convinced that the “church” was full of hypocritical people that wanted nothing more than serve their own self-interests within the confines of a comfy church pew. A social club, if you will.  And he wasn’t shy about telling us exactly that! 

But something brought him into that place that day.  I don’t think he came searching out the same hurt he had experienced before.  He wanted to test the waters.  I am sure a few groceries were needed but there was more to it than just the physical food. 

I think he wanted what we all want.  We want to be a part of something bigger.  We want to work.  We want to be held accountable to one another to serve the purpose of the church.  We want to see good being done and to take part in doing it.  We want to help one another in our times of need.  We want to have people that have our backs.  We want to stand shoulder to shoulder so we have support.  We want to be engaged in furthering the kingdom of God. 

Or is it just me?  Is it?  Is it just me?  Am I the only one that longs for this?

Unfortunately, people get in the way of that purpose.  Hurts happen.  And they come in all shapes and sizes and manners.  I even stumble over myself.

The other day I mentioned well-intentioned people.  They can happen.  They can get in the way.

I am going to go out on a limb here.  It is a long skinny limb that will most assuredly cause me to come crashing to the ground.  I already know some of the thoughts and murmurs that will come about.  If you think it, you may as well say it.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. Hebrews 10:23-25 (NASB)

Talk about responsibility!  My responsibility is “to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,” to encourage.  But there is something in between.  Something that has been lacking in my life.  Something that our current pandemic-stricken era has frowned upon.  Something that I sorely miss.  Something that I may have taken for granted for too long.

Assembly.  How can you hold me accountable if you don’t see me?  How can I hold you accountable if I don’t reach out to you and ask those hard questions?  How can we serve the kingdom without some common time of visiting and worshiping and praying and studying?  How do we know who is missing out on this?  Are we quick to say it is up to them to get it?  We are too polite to force anything on anyone.  So, let them die and go to hell.

Well, now, that is a little harsh.

Is it?

How do we know if a person is truly saved from the inevitable wrath to come?  God knows and perhaps it is not our place to know but it is our place to continue to share the good news of a Savior.  Nothing I do will save anyone but the work completed on the cross did.  It saved me.  It is saving me.  It continues to work in me.

Have I become that man I met many years ago?  From the outside looking in, I don’t want to go sit in a pew surrounded by people that honestly don’t care whether I show up to occupy that pew or not.  I don’t want to be part of a social club that only serves our own interests.  I don’t want to sit with my arms crossed and lips pursed quietly while I observe others. 

I don’t want to be judged until you know me.  Then I want you to hold me accountable.  When you know the abilities God has imparted on me, I want you to remind me.  I want you to ask me why I am not doing my part in furthering the kingdom of God.  And don’t be satisfied with “I don’t feel like it.”

If you are a member of a “church,” and have not been engaged, may I encourage you to seek engagement.  If you are unable to find it, perhaps another congregation is necessary for you to find it.  But then again, maybe it is you that should initiate something.  Perhaps there is someone that needs you to take that first step and you may find a common work to do.

If you are in a close-knit family of believers that are actively working to further the kingdom of God, may I encourage you in your work.  But may I also entreat you to look a little beyond yourselves.  So much of the work of kingdom building happens outside the confines of a building.

And if you are like me, sitting on the sidelines.  Waiting and watching.  What are we waiting on?  May I suggest that while we are waiting that we continue the work we know to do.  That we share verses.  That we encourage those around us.  That we study and worship and pray.  And that we find a “church” home.

Pray with me in these endeavors?  That the kingdom of God will grow.  That people can come together to encourage one another.  That people will come together for good.