Encourage One Another Daily

A long-term ministry relationship had soured, and the resulting ultimatum was clear. Forced to choose between the security of the fellowship I had served for fifteen years and staying true to my conscience, I found myself outside a group of people I dearly loved. I drove to the High Sierras to get out of town and sort out my conflicted feelings.

I stopped at my parents' house to drop off my things before my long walk in the woods. As I started for the door, my dad stopped me, saying, "I want to read you something before you go." In his hands was a copy of The Message, a paraphrase of the Bible by Eugene Peterson. He read: "Count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens--give a cheer even!--for though they don't like it, I do. And all heaven applauds" (Matt. 5:11-12). Over the next few days that Scripture worked its way into my prayers and overturned my despair by allowing me to see my pain from God's perspective.

pgs. 90-91 authentic relationships - discover the lost art of "one anothering"