13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
I don’t know about you, but I need daily encouragement. Depression is on the rise. It seems as though the American Dream is just that, a dream. And in all our striving and pursuing we have cut ourselves off from the very support network we need to survive. We need to be encouraged. We need to gather on a regular basis with fellow journeyers. We need to check in with others who share our values and purposes. We need the pat on the back and the gentle words spoken to lift up. We need to have our pain acknowledged and shared. We need to know that toughing it out will pay off in the end. We need to know that we are not alone. If we don’t receive enough encouragement, sin’s pull will increase. The lie of sin’s ability to fulfill us will sound pretty good. Why not have that large piece of chocolate. It has always made me feel good in the past. And I can just walk that extra 25 miles tomorrow to work off the calories. I deserve that expensive vehicle because I worked my tail off all year. I know it is impractical because it only has one seat and we have three kids, but I deserve it and I am going to get it! Those conversations with those other people on the internet make me feel good. I never argue with them. They understand me. Each of these and many more can become a strong pull toward sin. They have the power to persuade. But their end is bitter. And when we enter into those sins, our hearts get hard. We become less able to hear the voice of our loving Lord. Encouragement has the opposite effect. The more we are encouraged, the more likely we are to obey leading to obedience.
The Arnold Journey 