Encourage One Another!
1 Thessalonians 5:11: "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing."
Paul repeats these words throughout his letters. Thus, we can assume that it must have been very important to him personally to be encouraged and to see his people encouraged. Knowing that he would not be with them much longer, Paul exhorted believers to speak the truth to one another in love, to remind each other of the Lord's return, and to keep spurring one another on to saving faith in the Lord.
Paul was an encourager. We see that in every letter that he wrote. His heart's passion was to see the Gospel of Jesus Christ spread and to build the body of Christ. While many responded to Paul's proclamation of the Gospel message, there was always the work of the enemy who sought to destroy the church and to stop the spread of the Gospel message. Persecution, loss, discouragement, despair, hardship - all this was a reality for the church in Paul's time. Therefore, Paul was passionate about encouraging the people of God to persevere, to keep their eyes focused on the goal of spiritual maturation, and to keep their hearts set on the promise that one day Jesus Christ would return to bring his kingdom in fullness. On that day, every hardship would be forgotten as those who have fought the good fight with Paul would see the great rewards of their faith.
Do you need encouragement today? Do you know someone who needs encouragement today? If you need it, seek it out from the Lord and from fellow believers, then go out and share that encouragement with your brothers and sisters in the Lord. The days are hard, and we are called to persevere, but we persevere with that same hope that Jesus is coming any day.
Reflection:
Think of someone who has been a spiritual encouragement to you. Take some time to let that person know how much you appreciate their encouragement, then go out and encourage another brother or sister.
Paul repeats these words throughout his letters. Thus, we can assume that it must have been very important to him personally to be encouraged and to see his people encouraged. Knowing that he would not be with them much longer, Paul exhorted believers to speak the truth to one another in love, to remind each other of the Lord's return, and to keep spurring one another on to saving faith in the Lord.
Paul was an encourager. We see that in every letter that he wrote. His heart's passion was to see the Gospel of Jesus Christ spread and to build the body of Christ. While many responded to Paul's proclamation of the Gospel message, there was always the work of the enemy who sought to destroy the church and to stop the spread of the Gospel message. Persecution, loss, discouragement, despair, hardship - all this was a reality for the church in Paul's time. Therefore, Paul was passionate about encouraging the people of God to persevere, to keep their eyes focused on the goal of spiritual maturation, and to keep their hearts set on the promise that one day Jesus Christ would return to bring his kingdom in fullness. On that day, every hardship would be forgotten as those who have fought the good fight with Paul would see the great rewards of their faith.
Do you need encouragement today? Do you know someone who needs encouragement today? If you need it, seek it out from the Lord and from fellow believers, then go out and share that encouragement with your brothers and sisters in the Lord. The days are hard, and we are called to persevere, but we persevere with that same hope that Jesus is coming any day.
Reflection:
Think of someone who has been a spiritual encouragement to you. Take some time to let that person know how much you appreciate their encouragement, then go out and encourage another brother or sister.
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