God Calls Us to Be Considerate

Are you a nice person? What does that even mean? What a generic word. You have a nice day, a nice uncle, a nice car, a nice hamburger. I think it means vaguely pleasant, but nice isn’t always exactly pleasant. In fact, Hebrews 10 tells us to be considerate and it says this to people who were enduring great affliction. Nice is more than merely a vague sense of pleasant.

In college I used to work at an information hub for the campus. We gave answers to people by phone and in person. One day I was on the phone answering someone’s question and I ended by saying, “Have a nice day.” My supervisor, who was a pretty savvy and hard-working man, said, “Wil, don’t tell people to have a nice day. What does that even mean? It means nothing. They don’t even hear what you are saying. Think of a different way to say that.”

Thankfully, we have words that are precise. They express exactly what we need to express. For instance, thoughtful is as pleasant as nice, but means to be full of thought. If I am considerate, it means I consider it. I consider someone. I may be pleasant and kind to them, but it is because I am thinking of them. In other words, I am mindful. This is not just temperament; it is a truth.

In Hebrews 10:19 we get the run-up to something important. Verse 19 says, “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by new and living way.” Then it goes on to say, “Let us…let us…let us.” Verse 22 says, “Let us draw near.” Verse 23 says, “Let us hold fast.” Verse 24 says, “Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.” So, we are not merely to be nice to other people. We are to consider other people in our community. God calls us to be considerate.

We are to consider Christ. Hebrews 3:1 tells us we are to “consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Jesus Christ.” He is the apostle, the supreme revealer of God’s truth. Hebrews 12:3 says, “Consider him [Jesus] that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself.” Hebrews 12:2 says, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher.” God calls us to be considerate.

How do I do that? We are to consider one another and to provoke or stir up one another unto love. How do I provoke love? Usually when we think about being provoked, we think about the negative. Maybe we get irritated at church. The pastor didn’t say something right, the announcements left something out, someone didn’t sing the right note. We are provoked to irritation. That is not what the Bible is talking about. I Corinthians 13:5 says that charity is not easily provoked. So, we are talking about actually stirring up love. How do we do that? Well, gracious people make me feel like I’m gracious. I’m not. I’m simply responding to what they are giving. We provoke love in other people by giving it to them. I ought to do that with the people around me, specifically in the context of a body of believers.

How would I provoke good works? I am to consider other people and stir them up to love and to good works. We are not merely talking about dead works. Hebrews 10:20 says we have “a new and living way.” It tells us that we have been saved from dead works, works that cannot bring eternal life and salvation. We are not to simply have dead works, a shadow of what is to be true in our hearts. So, how would I provoke good works? It is by giving them.

When I look at the people at my church, I think, “Wow, I am a debtor.” I can think of numbers of people who when I see them, I am reminded of some kind thing they did, some sacrifice they made on my behalf, or a word of wisdom or encouragement they gave me. We are so isolated sometimes, working at home, homeschooling, home church. Though I think home is vitally important, if we are not careful, we can be so absorbed by ourselves and never go beyond the walls of our home that we become isolated. I need to provoke others to love and good works.

I can think of situations in my life when I was in a bind and people in my church helped me out in ways that were beyond me. The point is I am a debtor and sometimes I repay that by passing that good work forward. You get what you give. People want happiness, but you don’t get happiness by pursing it. You receive that sense of serenity by giving, letting God give through you what you would want yourself to have.

We don’t merely go to church because of what we can get. Someone might say, “I don’t get as much out of church as I used to. My needs were not met today.” I’m all for your needs being met, but we go to church because of what we can give. It requires contact. Verse 25 says, “Not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together.” We are to gather to exhort each other.

Am I forsaking or faithful? Verse 25 says, “Not forsaking.” Verse 23 says, “He is faithful.” I am to hold fast the profession of my faith without wavering because Jesus is faithful. My faith is based on His faithfulness. I need to be like Jesus if I am going to be considerate of other people. To provoke them to love with my love and to good works with my good works requires contact. I’ve got to be there. There is a cost to fellowship. Verse 33 says, “Ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions…for ye had compassion of me and my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.” We are reminded of that by being involved at church.

We don’t always feel like going to church, but when you go even when you don’t feel like it, you will be encouraged by the preaching, singing, and fellowship of others who probably feel the same way you do. You are there to give something, but as you give, you will receive. 

Whatever your world may be today, if you are going to get what you want, you need to give what you should. God calls us to be considerate, provoking others to love and good works and remaining in contact with them for the glory of God and the good of the church.