Not alone

Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares [us,] and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of [our] faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Yesterday after Sunday service I realized I got a new evangelism partner thanks to my wife and can you guess who that is? My 4 year old son Elisha! This is the second time we have gone out with him but he loves every bit of it. With him we go with other church members to knock on doors and spread the gospel where our church is located. 

What encouraged me was he was the one knocking the doors, so passionately because he just wants us to talk to people about Jesus. And you don't want to miss a door if he knows you haven't gone there! He will literally talk you into going there to at least talk to them. "Daddy what about this one, and that one?" Oh my I feel encouraged by that because regardless of the negative response you get from the person you have just talked to, you have someone to encourage you to talk to another, and another and another! And when you have finished that hostel, as your heading back home he points to other hostels and he asks, "when are we preaching here?" 

Reaching home, he narrates to everyone around how they did evangelism, and describes in detail the scenes he found, only to make those peers of his and the rest at home including his mom to want to go next time. I realized that am not alone in this work, I have a real person besides me encouraging me to do the work!

If I have an encourager in a four year old, we have many more others we cannot see, the saints who are witnesses of all we do in heaven. They are excited about every move we take towards advancing the kingdom here on earth. They are seeing what we are doing, not with eyes of condensation for what we haven't done but with eyes of love and joyous celebration. 

Paul is beholding us and he is like "you can preach Christ deeper even when you are bound by circumstances on the outside," the martyrs are like "don't focus on who can harm your flesh for they can't kill your spirit." For every soul won to the Lord, a party is held in heaven, angels joining in. 

We are not alone children of God and ministers of the gospel. Although the saints and angels won't preach the gospel on our behalf, they are cheering us on. Their joy in heaven is because of the accomplishments we are having here. Unless you are so self centered, you wouldn't want to do things which grieve the witnesses like simply doing nothing at all yet you have all it takes. It's like football players who come onto the pitch only to sit still and no action happens. Something would be totally wrong.

If we can only be conscious of what's happening in heaven, the temporary pains here on earth won't mean much in comparison. If you lack encouragers like I do in my son, you have those in heaven, you are not alone!