Encouragement

I love this time of year.  Every morning, several flocks of geese fly over my home.  I love looking up into the blue September sky and watching them form v’s.  I enjoy listening to the crescendo of honks, evidence that they are coming long before I can see them.  As they soar overhead, the cacophony is music to my ears.

Geese honk for a number of reasons, according to http://www.knowswhy.com/why-do-geese-honk/.  Honks can serve as greetings, warnings, or a sign of contentment.  In the article it says that they honk to help locate each other in a large flock, reassure if a family member is in the area, to point to a good feeding or landing area, and to alert flock members of the presence of predators and enemies.

I see a marvelous parallel between how geese behave and how believers in the body of Christ should behave.  When observing a flock of geese soaring overhead, there appears to be a sense of fellowship and togetherness among its members.  In my devotions this morning, I read Colossians 1:9-10 (NASB) which says, “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” 

As believers, we need to be praying for spiritual wisdom and understanding not only for ourselves, but for fellow believers.  As we travel together on this side of eternity, we need to be lifting and encouraging others and praying for their spiritual growth.  According to this passage, we need to be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.  This will equip and enable us to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, which will bear much fruit, which will further increase our knowledge of Him!

 

As more flocks fly overhead in the coming days, I will be reminded to reach out to others and try to offer reassurance and encouragement, or perhaps say a prayer for someone who is going through a trial, that He would increase their spiritual understanding and wisdom.

“Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11, NASB)

“If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.  Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”  (Philippians 2:1-4, NASB)