Sharing a verse that nourished you, with a personal note
When a verse does you good, you probably want to talk about it. Yet you often keep it to yourself. This quest invites you to share it with one person, simply telling them what that verse did in you. It is a way of encouraging one another in the faith.
What it looks like in your day
What you share is what nourished you. Not a verse picked for the occasion, but the one that spoke to you this week. Here is how:
- Find the verse that touched you recently. In today's reading, in your notebook, in your memory.
- Choose the person it will speak to. Someone in your family, your group, a believing friend. Not necessarily someone going through a hard time: this is sharing between equals.
- Write three things: the verse (with the reference), what it did in you, and why you are thinking of this person.
- Send it, without waiting for an answer.
An example message: “This morning I read in Psalm 34: O taste and see that the Lord is good! I didn't feel like believing it, I was tired. But the word ‘taste’ stopped me: God is something you taste, not just something you explain. I thought of you. Thank you for being someone I can share this with.”
The best part of this kind of sharing is the give and take: the other person can reply with a verse that nourished them too. You encourage each other in turn.
If you are short on time, a two-line message is enough. If you are shy, start with someone very close. If you are a beginner, don't be afraid to share a very simple verse: it is often the most moving.
What the Bible says
Paul describes how believers nourish one another:
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”
Nourishing one another with the word is a practice of the church, not only of worship. And he expresses his wish to be with the Romans with a very similar idea:
“For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.”
“That I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me”: Paul, an apostle, speaks not only of giving, but of receiving. Sharing goes both ways. Psalm 34 also invites a personal experience:
“O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”
“O taste and see”: we share what we have tasted, not only what we have learned.
Pitfalls to avoid
Preaching. A shared verse is not a lesson. Say “Here is what it did to me” rather than “Here is what you need to understand.”
Choosing a verse to correct. Never use a shared verse to slip in a reproach. If you have something to say, say it directly and gently.
Putting on a show. True sharing is simple. Avoid pious formulas and grand phrases.
Sharing only with the same people. Widen the circle: a friend you know less well, a newcomer at church, someone who doesn't have many contacts.
Forgetting to read the reply. When the other person answers, take the time to read it and say thank you. Sharing is an exchange.
Today, pick a verse that nourished you. Send it to one person, with three personal lines.