Think of the acts of kindness and love that others have shown you throughout your life. We all go through times when we need encouragement and each of us have the ability to offer encouragement to others.
Encouragement is defined as giving support, confidence, or hope to someone. Encourage has the word “courage” in it. Joshua 1:9 says,
“My prayer for you is that you will overflow more and more with love for others, and at the same time keep on growing in spiritual knowledge and insight…”
True courage only comes from God, so when Christians encourage each other we are reminding each other to “take courage” and have “hope” that God is with us and that He will bring us through any situation that we face.
How can we encourage others?
One way to encourage others is by choosing how we converse with them when they are hurting, feeling down, or going thru a difficult time in their life. Sometimes our natural tendency is to join in the negative perspective and words they are being spoken about the difficulty they are facing. We may think joining in with them is showing empathy, but we have to be careful that the negative words don’t lead us into “falling into the ditch” with them, or worse joining in slander and gossip about others. A better approach to the conversation would be to point to God’s word, hope, and promises.
Phil. 4:12 says to think on these things… “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
Things to converse about:
- The Fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5 (i.e. with love, joy, peace, long-suffering…)
- Sharing things each of you is grateful for that God has and is doing in our lives.
- Discussing scriptures that remind us that God will never leave us and that He will walk beside us through all our hurts and pains.
- Plan a way that you can serve others.
- Pray together.
- Share stories of how God has helped you through difficult times in the past.
- Talk about the hope we have of the time God will wipe away all tears (Revelation 21:4).
- Let them know you love them and will be praying for them.
Encouraging and supporting each other makes us a “vessel of honor” (2 Timothy 2:20) and a tool in God’s hands to encourage our Brothers-/Sisters-in-Christ.
Lee
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR *YOUR* ENCOURAGEMENT!! It is MUCH appreciated!!