How serious are we about sin? The Bible reminds us how seriously God views it. The power of sin to entice, entrap, drag us away from our faith, harden our hearts to God, and ultimately engulf us in its power is real and destructive (Hebrews 2:1, 3:12-14, 6:1-8, 10:23-29). Encouragement — especially in its full biblical range of meanings of encourage, comfort, and correct — is one of the great blessings we can bring to each other. Loving Christian friends who encourage each other daily can neutralize sin's influence and destructive allure.

Father, I know sin's power is deceptive and alluring. Help me see those who need my encouragement today so that we can help each other escape sin's enticing traps. I pray in the name of Jesus, who withstood all of Satan's tests. Amen.