
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers inc. Wheaton, Illinois 60189, all rights reserved.
ENCOURAGING ONE ANOTHER [1 THESSALONIANS 5:11]
So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.
Believers gain and maintain spiritual strength from the encouraging actions and words of other Christians. None of us can progress in our faith or stay true to our Lord without the help and encouragement of fellow believers. In fact we need this kind of healthy interaction every day, not one day out of seven. Notice what Paul says in Romans 1:11-12, āFor I long to visit you so I can share a spiritual blessing with you that will help you grow strong in the Lord. Iām eager to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. In this way, each of us will be a blessing to the other.ā We are encouraged by encouraging others. Paul prayed for the chance to visit these Christians so that he could encourage them with his gift of faith and be encouraged by theirs. When believers come together, every one should give and receive. Our mutual faith gives us a common language and a common purpose for encouraging one another. Look around you. Be sensitive to other believers who might need a word of encouragement. Be supportive with your words and actions. This is what our Lord has called us to do. May God richly bless you