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1 Thessalonians 5:11 - Be An Encourager.1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV) Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NLT) So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. INTRODUCTION As you near the end of a long race, your legs ache, your chest burns, and your whole body cries out for you to stop. This is the moment when friends and fans are most valuable. Their encouragement helps you push through the pain to the finish line. In the same way, Christians are to encourage one another. A word of encouragement offered at the right moment can be the difference between finishing well and collapsing along the way. Look around you. Be sensitive to others' need for encouragement, and offer supportive words or acts of service. [Life Application SB 2019] COMMENTARY PEARL Comforting Others It is an undeniable fact that usually those who have suffered most are best able to comfort others who are passing through suffering. They know what it is to suffer, and they understand more than others what a suffering person is experiencing - physically, emotionally, and spiritually. They are able to empathize as well as sympathize with the afflictions of others because of what they have experienced in their own lives. Our sufferings may be rough and hard to bear, but they teach us lessons that in turn equip and enable us to help others. Our attitude toward suffering should not be, "Grit your teeth and bear it," hoping it will pass as quickly as possible. Rather, our goal should be to learn all we can from what we are called upon to endure, so that we in turn can "comfort each other and edify one another." As bad as our suffering may seem, it would be far worse for it to be in vain. Ask God to reveal ways your trials can serve to comfort others and to glorify him. [Hope for Each Day by Billy Graham] COMMENTARY Last fall while my dad was out of town, we sisters decided to have one of our girls' weekends. My mom and I, my sisters, Erica and Jenny, and my sister-in-law, Traci, all got together at my parents' house. We kept up our usual traditions of shopping, eating chocolate, and drinking hot beverages - tea for Mom and Erica and coffee for me, Traci, and Jenny. There was some lazing around, nap-taking, and reading. But the thing we did most was talk. We talked about our kids. We chatted about work. We discussed our physical ailments at length - this is how we know we are getting older! And we encouraged each other. Life can be confusing and difficult. Sometimes it's cuckoo crazy. So, we reminded each other of the truth - hard seasons come and go, our kids are in Jesus's capable hands, and we have each other's backs no matter what. Like my family, Jesus encourages me too. He tells me to take heart or have courage so that I'm not afraid or overwhelmed (John 16:3 3). He is omniscient and knows the ins and outs of my days (Job 28:24). He never leaves me when life is confusing, difficult, and cuckoo crazy (Matthew 28:20). He puts people in my life to remind me who He is and encourage me, not only on a girls' weekend but every day. Jesus has my back - no matter what. Susana Foth Aughtmon Faith Step: Text a good friend today and offer her encouragement. Remind her of your friendship and that she is in Jesus's capable hands. Let her know Jesus has her back too. [Mornings With Jesus 2024 Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan] It had been a long time since my husband and I had hiked down a trail to see a waterfall - maybe too long. Sweat dripped down our faces, and our joints silently but persistently complained about the rocky, uneven terrain. We wondered how much farther we had to go. Then a smiling couple approached from the opposite end of the path. Seeing that we had paused, they offered encouraging words: "You're almost there! It's just a little bit farther. The rest of the way isn't too bad." I asked if the view would be worth the trouble; they assured us that it would be. We thanked them and continued our trek. I'll admit I get weary sometimes and feel tempted to give up. Whether climbing a steep nature trail on a sweltering day or navigating through a difficult season of life, it helps to hear from someone who's been there. Part of being a Christ follower means speaking words that encourage and build up those around me, just as Jesus did. Jesus demonstrated this beautifully in His conversations with His disciples during His final days as He prepared and strengthened them for the trials and turbulence that lay ahead (John 14). One of the best ways I can honor Jesus is to help others find the strength to keep going on their spiritual journey during rough patches and to assure them that the destination is most definitely worth the trip. Dianne Neal Matthews Faith Step: Keep watch today for someone who could use encouragement to continue their journey with Jesus. Ask Jesus to give you the words that person needs to hear. [Mornings With Jesus 2025 Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan] PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Look for Opportunities to Encourage Are you one of them? They're out there right now. There are millions of them. In your city. In your neighborhood. In your church. Perhaps, even in your home. You may even be one of them... Who are they? People in desperate need of encouragement. Let's face it, life can be hard. The Christian walk is a narrow road that can be smooth one minute and bumpy the next, filled with twists and turns and trials and triumphs. All of us face moments when we feel like it takes everything we've got just to keep going. In those moments, we need an encouraging word. We need someone who will speak the truth to us in love. We need the light of God's love to fill us with the hope, faith and strength we need to rise again. In 1 Thessalonians 5:11, the Apostle Paul challenged Christians to encourage one another. As followers of Christ, we should ALWAYS be on the lookout for opportunities to encourage others! Are you? [Alternative View with Dr. Tony Evans; https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/alternative-view-with-dr-tony-evans/] I recently bought a small gift book for my son Jack who is getting ready to leave for college in a couple months. It is called Letters to Open When ... Write Now. Read Later. Treasure Forever. It is a small, rectangular book in the shape of an envelope. Inside are empty letter templates that have different titles instructing the reader what each letter is about and when it should be opened: "Open when you are looking for inspiration." "Open when you need courage." "Open when you need a laugh." This summer I am going to have my family and Jack's friends fill out the letters. When he feels alone at school, he can open a letter and find the encouraging words of those who love him most. In this season, I want Jack surrounded by hope and peace. Words of encouragement can change our lives. When we encourage each other, we are following in the footsteps of the One who loves us the most. When Jesus walked the dusty hills of Nazareth and the sandy beaches of Galilee, He used His words to heal and restore. His words offered hope to the desperate, fulfillment to the love-starved, and redemption to the broken. His words transformed His followers, inviting them to change the world. We can do the same. With encouragement, we speak to each other's hearts with love, truth, and hope. Encouragement builds out grace and mercy in the lives of those around us, recognizing them for who they are - the beloved of Jesus. Our encouragement can surround people with hope and peace. Susanna Foth Aughtmon Faith Step: Write a letter to someone in your life today. Following in Jesus's footsteps, use your encouraging words to build her up and surround her with love. [Mornings With Jesus 2021 Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan] ONE LINER Dale Carnegie's book How to Win Friends and Influence People stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for a decade. What is the message of the book? Arguably it can be reduced to one phrase: "Encourage one another." [You Can Count On God by Max Lucado] LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY 1 Thessalonians 5:11 - Be An Encourager. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200322-0751.html Ephesians 4:29 - Our Words Should Edify. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20221009-0844.html Hebrews 3:13 - Encouragement As A Weapon Against Sin. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2015/20151102-1453.html LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT https://abible.com/links/ |