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© 2024 Copyright | Adele M. Gill
https://theinspirationcafeblog.net/blog
“Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, as indeed you do.”
I Thessalonians 5:11
Today we will be talking about the importance of encouragement. How do you feel when someone encourages you? Does it make you feel good about yourself? Does it make you want to do better? Does it make you want to do the same for others by providing encouragement for someone else in need of a boost and a little hope? Of course, it does! It has been said that “people may not always remember what you said, but they will remember how you made them feel.” That is where encouragement comes in.
Where Does Your Encouragement Come From?
There are lots of different kinds and sources of encouragement. Where do you get your encouragement from? Does it come from one’s employer, or from their family or friends, or from their teachers, or even their doctors? Yet others get it from their minister or priest or counselor. Many Christians get it through going to church, prayer and reading scripture. Regardless of where it comes from, this much is true: encouragement is a necessity for us all. Encouragement has numerous benefits:
Encouragement is a wonderful motivator. It helps ordinary people do extraordinary things. That is because encouragement gives us hope. It is important to note, too, that encouragement promotes optimism and hope, which is good for your physical, mental, and spiritual health. That is, it’s good for your overall health and wellbeing! And it helps keep us to keep going and to meet our goals, purpose, calling, and/or mission. Most importantly, encouragement enables us to grow and be steadfast in our Christian faith. Encouragement was one of the cornerstones that helped build a strong foundation for the early Christian Apostles and Disciples, one that has lasted for generation upon generation.
The Early Christian church was built around love and encouragement. It was not easy for Jesus’ followers. They endured much hardship and persecution as they tried to teach and preach about Jesus wherever they went. Just look at the life of the missionary Apostle Paul! The Apostles were sent out 2 by 2 to distant lands to teach and preach he gospel, and heal people in places where they were too often not welcome. Those who were new church leaders and faithful disciples of Jesus really needed much encouragement to be able to press on to bring Jesus’ message far and wide. And they did just that!
You can see the role that encouragement played in the letters that Paul the Apostle sent to the churches, and most especially in the words Jesus spoke as recorded in New Testament Bible scriptures. The early Christians needed to build each other up by speaking kind words of encouragement to all they met, especially each other. And isn’t that still true today? Here are a few Bible references and passages about encouragement:
[God said] “I command you: be strong and steadfast! Do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord, your God, is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9
“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement and good hope through his grace, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word.”
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
“For whatever was written previously was written for our instruction, that by endurance and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.”
Romans 15:4
In closing, if you are an encourager, great! If not, you may want to consider giving it a try. As Christians, we all need to be encouragers—it’s an important part of who we are as a community of believers, striving to build each other up. As you begin to encourage others, you will soon find that you often get back what you give away 10 fold!
It all goes back to the Golden Rule found in the New Testament in Matthew 7:12:
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
~*~
The Inspiration Café Podcast & Blog
PODCAST: The Joy of the Lord Is Your Strength
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