Meet and Encourage
Scripture Reading — Hebrews 10:24-25
Let us … not [give] up meeting together … but [encour-age] one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
—Hebrews 10:24-25
Have you had a child in your family ask, “Do I have to go to church?” Sometimes it’s hard to wake kids up on Sunday mornings. Sometimes other worthwhile activities compete with worship time. Sometimes we just value worship less and opt to sleep in. Sometimes disillusionment makes us hesitate to face our friends.
The writer of Hebrews saw people struggling with getting together for worship. He wanted them to know that meeting together is worth prioritizing. Praising our Creator and Redeemer is in our bones and part of the way God made us.
Joining together in worship draws us closer not only to God but also to each other. Connecting spiritually with our families as well as our church family solidifies our relationships. In marriages, shared spiritual practice is the best predictor of long-term stability. Teens learn spirituality from their parents. Families that pray together stay together. Nothing you do for kids is wasted!
Take the whole family with you to church. Pattern good spiritual habits. Let your kids know that church is where they discover their true identity—that they belong to God and will always be his, even long after their parents are gone. Be passionate about worship so that it rubs off on those around you. Rejoice with the psalmist: “Let us go to the house of the LORD” (Psalm 122:1)!
Lord, connect us with other believers and make us a community that glorifies you. In Jesus, Amen.
About the author — Steven and Deb Koster
Steven and Deb Koster have a passion for marriages, families, and spiritual growth in the home. Both are ordained ministers in the Christian Reformed Church in North America. Steven formerly served as editor of Today and director of ReFrame's English-language outreach. Deb leads Family Fire, ReFrame’s family ministry at FamilyFire.com and on Facebook. The Kosters have three children.
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