Read 1 Thessalonians 5:11 & Hebrews 10:24
A number of months ago I was getting coffee at the drive thru of one of our favorite local coffee shops, the person in front of me purchased my coffee and instructed the barista to let me know how they appreciated what I do at Grace Church and that it makes a difference. I didn’t recognize the vehicle nor the person inside and they quickly drove off before I could say thanks. Their words were timely for a rough season in life and they gave me renewed hope and encouragement to press on.
Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians were also timely as the church was experiencing discouragement. He was calling them to be encouragers, to find ways to “build up” one another. We are called to do the same, and far beyond any temporal reason or circumstances, we have all the reason to “build up” one another because of the great hope we have in Christ!
I have been challenged to be more intentional about looking for ways to encourage and build up others. Hebrews 10:24 instructs us to “consider” how to stir up one another to love and good deeds.
I think the first steps in being good encouragers is to make time to prayerfully consider how we can really build someone up, ask God to make us aware of opportunities and act upon them.
I have too often felt the “nudge” and didn’t act on an opportunity. Then, there are times I acted and saw God do some really cool things from a few words of encouragement! Make time today to put this into practice and see what God can do!
Brad Frederici
Be an encourager today.
Just a few words can make all the difference. Don’t miss the opportunities that God puts along your path to build someone up. Just a few words can change somebody’s day. Think of 3 people you can encourage today and ask God to show you more opportunities throughout your day.