Encourage One Another - The Crosswalk Devotional - August 24
Encourage One Another
By Whitney Hopler
Bible Reading:
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:11, NIV
My dad Jim is grateful for many friends, and one of his friendships stands out to me. Dad and his friend Hibbie bonded as young boys whose fathers had passed away. Both of them had to deal with the grief and challenges of not having their fathers while growing up. They encouraged each other and built each other up day by day. By the time Hibbie passed away at age 87, he and Dad had celebrated about 80 years of friendship! I’m inspired by how Dad and Hibbie leaned on each other, shared their burdens, and strengthened one another for nearly a lifetime.
That’s what the Bible urges us all to do 1 Thessalonians 5:11. Life is hard in this fallen world. We face many challenges, but we’re not meant to go through our challenges alone. God has given us a powerful gift: each other. God calls us to encourage one another. That means giving each other courage through kind words and actions. Encouragement is often simple, but it’s significant. God will send his power flowing through our lives when we speak encouraging words in our conversations or write them in our texts and cards to each other. When we show up for one another and help meet one another’s needs, our efforts will make a positive impact because God will bless our actions.
Encouragement matters because it reflects God’s love for people. Throughout the Bible, God shows his love for people through encouragement. When we encourage other people, we’re showing them God’s love in action.
That’s powerful! Encouragement can change people’s paths through life for the better by pointing them to the hope God offers. It can give them the faith to believe they matter or the strength to face something that’s especially challenging for them. It also draws people closer together. When we encourage others, we’re building relationships by creating trust and showing that we care. Encouragement is also powerful because it multiplies. The more we encourage people, the more they can pass it on by encouraging other people they know. Encouragement spreads like light, brightening the lives of everyone who experiences it in our homes, workplaces, churches, schools, and communities. So, encouragement is a powerful way for us to bring light into the darkness of this world!
The apostle Paul understood that when he wrote this verse to people in the Thessalonian churches. They were facing many challenges in their lives at that time, and Paul knew that they needed to be reminded of God’s love for them. Paul didn’t just teach them the truth; he told them to encourage one another with it. He also wrote: “… just as in fact you are doing” to let them know that he saw and appreciated their efforts. God calls us to make encouragement an ongoing lifestyle rather than only a one-time choice. Just like Jim and Hibbie encouraged each other throughout the decades, we’re called to encourage the people in our own lives whenever we can.
Think of people in your life right now. Who’s struggling with something? Who’s especially stressed or lonely? Who might need someone to tell them: “I see you, and I believe in you”? Your encouragement could be the reason someone doesn’t give up today.
You need encouragement too. So, don’t hesitate to let your trusted friends know when you could use encouragement about anything you’re facing right now. Ask them to pray for you and help you with what you need.
God has designed us to support and strengthen each other. When we encourage one another, our faith can grow stronger because we’re helping each other find hope through God. God’s love flows through our lives to meet all of our needs when we encourage each other. Let’s do our best to encourage one another – just as Jim and Hibbie did – day by day.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
As you consider how important it is to encourage one another, reflect on these questions:
- Who in your life has encouraged you the most? How did his or her encouragement help you in your relationship with God?
- Who is someone in your life right now who might need encouragement? How can you reach out to that person today?
- Who can you turn to for support when you need encouragement yourself?
- What’s one way you can make encouragement a daily habit in your family, with your friends, at work, at church, and online?
Further Reading:
Hebrews 10:24-25
Proverbs 12:25
Romans 15:2
Galatians 6:2
Isaiah 41:10
Photo Credit: ©Sparrowstock
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