Today's Devotional Thought
April 24, 2013 by Rachel Piferi
Build Up Yourself
We talk a lot here on After the Miracle about supporting one another and spurring each other on in this journey of life. And while there are countless examples in the Bible of people encouraging each other and helping each other, what happens when you feel like you just don't have anyone doing that for you?
What do you do on those days or in those seasons of life when there is no one spurring you on to good works or encouraging you to press on towards the prize?
Then what?
Learn to do it yourself.
I heard a well-known Christian woman recently telling a group of women how to thrive in their Christian walks. She happened to speaking to women in ministry and she was asked what was the one piece of advice that she would give to women on their journeys of life and service.
And she said, "Learn to take care of yourself."
As she unpacked that concept a bit more, she was simply saying that we all need to learn how to fill our spiritual tanks and emotional tanks ourselves and not depend on others to do it. It certainly is nice when they do and I believe that the Lord sends very special people into our days and our lives to do it, but at the end of the day, you do need to learn to do it yourself.
I believe Jude hits on this concept in verses 20 and 21 when he writes, "But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life."
Notice that he writes, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith...
Not waiting for someone else to build you up. Not expecting someone else to build you up.
BUT, you build yourself up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.
So, how do we do that? How do we build ourselves up in our most holy faith?
We do it by staying close to Jesus. By being in His Word. Taking a prayer walk with him. Singing praises to him in the car. By falling face down on the floor in front of him.
Sweet sisters, I pray that you cherish the sweet friends in your life. But I pray also that you learn how to build yourself up in your most holy faith! Today, pray that the Lord would show you how to take care of yourself, with his encouragement and love and support.
December