This past week, my wife and I had the privilege of sitting down with someone we’ve had the pleasure of getting to know over the past year or so.
Each time we speak with her we find ourselves encouraged by her example but challenged by the Lord about our lack of depth in our relationship with Him. After leaving that meeting, it stirred my heart to think about how many brothers and sisters like her I have had the blessing of knowing in my short life. These folks have encouraged me, instructed me, corrected me, testified to me, challenged me, helped me, and modeled faith to me. None of them have been perfect or have claimed to be perfect- but they have been faithful and remained teachable throughout their lives.
Of course, my mind then wandered to the brothers and sisters who went before me historically. The family of God is a treasure trove of help that sits unlocked and open for all Christians to utilize; each witness helping point us toward our great Redeemer. The author of Hebrews says it like this, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith..."
What should we do with “our cloud”?
First, recognize "our cloud" is a rich heritage that includes the brothers and sisters well before our time on earth began. One of the greatest blessings of technology and education in Western culture is the ability to reap bountiful lessons from the past. We can hop into a time machine and travel to another place to see what following Christ "looked like". It helps unpack what genuine faith looks like regardless of the cultural setting, what it costs to deny ourselves to follow Jesus, the mistakes that were made in their time, and what is cultural vs. what is not doctrinally pivotal in our time. Further, we can identify with men and women just like us who found Jesus sufficient as Savior and Lord. Some great books like Foxe's Book of Martyrs or From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya or The Story of Christianity go such a long way in bringing our faith to life and granting us perspective in the present. We should find ourselves familiar with names like Robert Moffat, William Borden, Henry Nott, Fanny Crosby, "Lottie" Moon, etc. Really, just pick up any Christian missionary biography and you will be helped "by the cloud".
Second, be proactive to meet up with the older brothers and sisters in your church. I confess I am not the “sit and have tea” kind of pastor I wish I was. It always seems like there is something blocking or bumping those appointments or moments. That said, Titus 2 instructs older saints to invest in younger saints. The proactive emphasis is upon the older generation BUT the implicit application would be that the younger generation should receive it, even seek it. Husband of 10 years, seek out one of the men in your church who has an imperfect but godly marriage for over twenty years. Young mom, why not ask the older mom who just dropped her kid off at college to have coffee? Parents should ask older parents what they would suggest focusing upon for eternal and spiritual significance in their children's lives vs. what culture encourages. The man or woman who is about 10 years to retirement should probably ask one of the retirees in the congregation about what they would do differently with the most valuable asset- time. No matter the age or stage of life, make a monthly commitment to proactively seek out help from the family of God in your church (and beyond).
Third, embrace the significant responsibility we each have "in the cloud". If the point of being in the cloud is to be a testament to the saving grace of the Lord Jesus and the transformation He creates, then such privilege calls us to holy responsibility in the present and for the future. Given the pace and self-emphasis/self-centeredness of Western culture, we might fail to embrace the act of love we each owe one another in discipleship. Whether it takes place formally or informally, we are called to be "teaching them all things" kind of Christians to those within our church primarily and then in the family of God at large. This means pointing people to the Scripture as the final authority in their lives, asking them questions to help them consider if spiritual wisdom is guiding their lives, exhorting or admonishing one another, and intentionally spending time with them each month. The people within our sphere of influence at church and in the family of God are avenues for God to accomplish His sanctifying work "in the cloud". A good question to consider might be, "Who is or will be a more yielded follower of Christ because of your investment in them?"
We sometimes read Hebrews 11 and find ourselves in awe of the people God used. Without diminishing their incredible choices of faith, it is important to realize that they are as much a part of the cloud as you and I have the opportunity to be. There is help in the cloud for you today. There is an opportunity for you to be a help as the cloud today.
Serving together,
Pastor Paul