We must consider how to rouse one another to love and good works. 

When Sheila started volunteering at a homeless shelter once a week, she couldn’t stop talking about it.   She loved sitting down with the residents and chatting with them.   She liked hearing their stories and praying with them.   Sheila’s excitement was so striking that first one friend, and then another asked if they could come along.   Soon they became regular volunteers as well.   You might say Sheila was “rousing” her friends to love and good works.

Surprised?   You shouldn’t be.   When you read this verse, you might think of someone standing on a soapbox telling you to go out and “do the right thing.”   But the Greek word used here for “rouse” can also mean “excite.”   We are supposed to get one another excited about the Christian life and all that it entails!   That’s how we rouse one another, by our passion and our example, as much as by our words.

So what excites you about your life in Christ?   Maybe you love the one-on-one time you spend with Jesus in Eucharistic adoration.   Perhaps your passion is reading and studying Scripture.   You might enjoy serving in a ministry like RCIA or teaching English as a second language.   Whatever it is, your excitement is attractive and contagious.   It may be just the thing that rouses another person to take up the same spiritual practice or join you in a good work.

If you haven’t been feeling much excitement about your faith lately, think about what has excited you in the past.   You may need to get back to what you were doing then or find another avenue to channel your love.   If you’ve been serving for a long time in one area, for example, making a change could help reenergize you.   Find out what excites your brothers and sisters. Maybe God is calling you to do the same thing.

The author of Hebrews knew that Christians need one another.   You might need a fellow believer to inspire you to do something you may have never even considered.   And they might need you.   So don’t be afraid to communicate your passion and excitement to someone else.   You might just be rousing another brother or sister to follow Jesus more closely.

Word Among Us