There are many ways to give people instructions, aren’t there? You can simply give an order or a command and if you have enough authority, the job might be completed. You can be vague about your desires and simply hope that the other person(s) will understand what you are really saying. You can offer rewards or make promises and if they are of value to the employee, child, or co-worker that may be enough motivation for them to do what you have asked of them. You can threaten someone in a variety of ways, which will have many different and probably unpredictable results.
Another way to motivate people to change or to accomplish certain tasks is to offer to work together with them. Having a friend with whom you can share goals, create new challenges, or accomplish things that would be difficult to do alone, is invigorating and inspiring. The simple phrase, “Let Us . . .” or more casually “Let’s”, can open new possibilities for everyone involved. It can open the door to confidence, accountability, endurance, and progress. When obstacles come, working together will give strength and courage. When success comes, the joy and satisfaction will increase because it will be shared.
The writers of many of the letters in the New Testament certainly understood this concept because there were many times when both Paul and John used that helpful idea. They were not simply teaching these new believers about how to live out their new faith in Christ, but they were joining hearts and hands with them as they learned how to love the Lord. Now, centuries later, as we read these epistles, you and I can be encouraged by these words. As we join together with believers in the past and in the present our own faith journey will take on new vitality and depth.
Study guides for this new 4 week study are available – www.westudytogether.com Study begins on May 3, 2019.
