Hebrews 10:24-25 ties attending church with encouraging one another.
For many Christians, sadly, going to church depends mostly on whether they feel they need it. “I have a beautiful relationship with Jesus, I don’t need to be at a gathering of people every week to keep me going.”
Not only is this factually wrong (God did in fact design you to need other Christians such that if you aren’t gathering with them, you will seriously lack in areas of spiritual health, whether you realise it or not)— but it is also the wrong motivation.
10:24-25 doesn’t tell you to meet together to be encouraged, but to encourage others.
Encourage means to exhort, call on, and comfort, somebody else. It is often verbal, explicit, and intentional.
But there is an unseen part of your church attendance: the encouragement of mere presence.
You may not realise it, but the fact that you simply turn up, can be a great exhortation, challenge, and comfort to other Christians.
Maybe it’s because they have been praying for you, and seeing you at church is a great answer to that prayer. You boost their confidence in prayer just by being there.
Maybe it’s because they are facing a trial and they know you’ve been through something similar. You encourage them to persevere just by being there.
Maybe it’s because they know you are going through something very difficult. And when they see you at church, they are struck with how much your prioritise church. You boost their discipline, just by being there.
It can work the other way, you know. You may not put up a placard, or post something on social media, saying that church is useless and no one else should go. But you’re absence will be felt. It will be sensed. And it will discourage.
Maybe your pastor who has been praying for you, and had your situation in mind as he was studying the text this week.
Maybe somebody at church who looks to you as an example.
Maybe some people who know that you’re going through tough times.
Maybe someone who wanted to tell you good news.
Your absence is felt. And it discourages.
Of course the fleshly part of us wants to excuse ourselves from such unintended consequences, and involuntary responsibility. “Can’t I just live my own life, and go through my own things, without having to worry about how I’m affecting the church around me?”
But we are a body, and we are a family. The Spirit of God has made us so. Such indiviudalistic reasoning simply isn’t an option for us.
So, in the words of Hebrews 10, do not neglect meeting together, but encourage one another.
Sometimes, the most powerful encouragement is presence.