A good reason to get out more

Introverts find increased strength in being alone; extroverts are energized by being with people. Sometimes I am both, but for the most part I like being by myself.

Perhaps this is a learned preference. Childhood illness forced long hours alone as I worked on school lessons by correspondence (grades three through six) and amused myself in other ways. We lived on a farm and although my parents were nearby, they had many other things to do, so I learned to be content without a lot of attention.

This morning as I read these verses, I wondered how introverts can better obey what they say.

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

Obviously, God wants His children to minister to one another, but the author of Hebrews uses an interesting word. In English, consider is thinking carefully about something. In Greek, the emphasis is on a careful diligence to do so.

The attitude of Christians toward each other is an important aspect of our faith, both in belief and practice. God says we are members of His body, and every part depends on the other parts. What I do or do not do, how I feel and talk, all have an effect on the entire body.

This is why Paul opened his letter to the Roman believers by telling them he was eager to visit them not only to minister to them, but to be ministered to by them. “ . . . that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me” (Romans 1:12).

As an introvert, I do give a lot of thought to other Christians. Some of that translates into prayer. When one of them tells me about themselves, I remember it and pray for them regarding whatever it was. When we are together on Sunday at church or at other events, my mind is usually occupied by what I see and hear regarding their needs and lives so I can pray for them.

As good as it is to be a person of prayer, this activity tends to encourage my preference to be alone, while the verses from Hebrews challenge it. To really encourage others to do good works certainly requires prayer, yet being face-to-face plays an important role.

This is both easy and difficult. Weeks ago our pastor singled out a young woman during his sermon and called her a woman of virtue (can’t recall the exact words). Afterwards, I bumped into her in the foyer and told her that I already thought that about her. She was touched and threw her arms around me with a thank-you hug. That was easy.

In another situation, another woman was tipped over and spent weeks continually talking about herself and her own needs. After considering her and what was going on in her life, and praying for weeks about her, God motivated me to say something about the perils of such a self-focus. I did, and after a long conversation, she realized that she would never grow if she stayed on her current path. She began considering others and her life began to change. That was difficult.

For me, it is easier to pray in my closet than get out there in places where I might have to “stir up love and good works” yet as my devotional reading says, as a follower of Christ I should feel both an obligation and a joy to encourage other believers.

Besides the fact that being alone makes the battle with selfishness more intense, considering others stirs every believer to be more like Jesus. When every part is growing, together the whole body of Christ becomes a truer and more intense reflection of His glory.