Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
Jumping into this verse requires a little bit of attention paid to the very first word. That word—"so"—is transitioning from a thought into an application. The "so" is getting us to consider what was said right before this and what comes after it.
Citizens of Heaven, Waiting on Earth
What happens right before this verse is a conversation about the day of the Lord. In other words, when will He return? When will we come to the fullness of knowledge of Him? Jesus lived on earth, died, resurrected, and ascended into heaven. We experience communion with God through the power of the Holy Spirit, the Helper that He sent back to us. Here on earth we live in connection to Christ through the power of the Spirit of God. We are dwelling in this world as residents, but truly living in heavenly places. We're citizens of heaven even though we're renting space here on earth.
The mystery of the day of the Lord was something that even back then they were talking about—just like today when we talk about Jesus’ return. We wonder, is what we're seeing in the news leading to this? Are there things that can tell us when this is going to happen? That was always a conversation. The encouragement here from the writer Paul comes after the "so"—when's the day of the Lord? When is He coming back? We’re not really sure. But in the meantime, encourage one another and build each other up, just as you are already doing.
Walking Through the Forest in the Dark
In other words, we are in some ways walking through a forest in the dark with no flashlight. We are living here on earth as followers of Jesus, taking the next right steps to honor Him, to do the things that bring Him glory, to serve other people. But as we do so, we don't know when we're going to get to the end of that forest. We don't know when this day is going to come. What Paul is saying is—you, brothers and sisters in Christ, encourage one another while you're down here on earth. Walk this out while waiting for the day of the Lord.
The Blindfold Illustration
It's sort of like when you're in a situation where you have to be led by someone else in order to have the way forward, because you can't see for yourself. I remember going to a team building exercise one time where they were trying to illustrate the importance of knowing the voices who are a part of your team and who you can trust. They had someone put on a blindfold, and then the person with the blindfold was set on one side of a field while everyone else was on the other side yelling out directions of where they needed to go in order to make it through a maze.
To make it interesting, the people hosting it were saying other words and trying to throw in confusion—but the teammates were trying to shout out to the person who needed to be guided so that they would trust their direction. Keep coming. You're doing great. Turn left. Not there. They were encouraging the person with the blindfold so that they wouldn't give up and wouldn't make a misstep. This is what it's like for us as brothers and sisters waiting for the day of the Lord. We're just taking the next right steps. Sometimes, if we're not careful, we start to drift.
Don't Give Up
That's why Paul instructs them to encourage one another daily. Continue to share with one another the hope of Jesus. He's coming back. We find hope and life in Him. Don't give up. Don't cease in doing good. Keep calling it out. This is the encouragement we need to stay the course. As you go into your day today, think about how you're encouraging others and how others are encouraging you in the way of Jesus.