Too often we undervalue encouragement or we confuse it with “flattery,” which it is not. But if God says that as long as it is called “TODAY” we are mutually responsible to encourage each other then we must take Him seriously! We all need encouragement and we all can give it. Depending on the context it means;

  • “Urge to  go forward, persuade” – {Read Acts 18:27}
  •  Encouraging with Godly “Counsel, advise” -{Read 1 Thess 2;11}
  • “Encourage ” signifying to stimulate a person in the doing of one’s duties in life -{Read 1 Thess 5:14}
  • “Comfort”-{Read 1 Cor 14:3}
  • “Come alongside to aid.” -{ Heb 6:18}

God Himself is The One who Gives Encouragement – {Read Rom 15:5}; His Word a Means to Encouragement -{Read Romans 15:4} and His people are to to be Encouragers.-{Read Hebrews Heb 3:13; 10:23;25; }. You and me are called to co labor with Him in this great act of love towards building up others in their faith!

Don’t wait until someone encourages you before you encourage back. Continually be pro active. Be obedient and initiate and look for ways to continually do the revealed will of God on a daily basis, which is to encourage. When you are with someone, or even apart THINK WITH THE INTENT TO put into practice, “How can I encourage them?” When you hear of them struggling? Or if they have a need? Or if they are following the Lord wholeheartedly? Seek to encourage them! Come along side someone to aid them, stimulate them to go forward in faith and love doing His will. Counsel them from His Word. Do good to them in words and deeds of love as means to encourage them with the attitude and actions of, ” …ourselves your servants, for Jesus sake!” -{Read 2 Cor 4:5}  He is your motivation for choosing to lay down your life, preferences in order to serve others for their benefit both physical and spiritually! It is an outward focus on the well being of others “…for Jesus sake!” Why encourage? “…for Jesus sake!” What is the attitude to take in order to do so? “ourselves your servants.”

If you are one of two people in a room, know your privilege is “…ourselves your servant,” which is to say, “I am a here to serve you, to prefer you!” Such is the attitude of a follower of the LORD Jesus, that must be recognized from His Word and be cultivated and maintained and indeed increase. The motivation to serve through encouragement? “… for Jesus sake!”

It was in the midst of hostilities and difficulties for their faith, that the writer of Hebrews wrote and told the believers that when they gather together, they were to be involved in actively seeking to stimulate and spur on another on with specific purpose.

Often we get together as believers and have no idea of why or what part if any we have to play a part in while we are together. We are like a ship without a ruder! No goal, no direction, no purpose, But thank God, He has given us His Word to be the ruder as it were to point us, and help us to navigate the roughest of circumstances to know His way for us. As the writer conveyed, ” Let us consider How we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds … encouraging one another…and all the more as you see the Day approaching”-{Read Hebrews 10:23-25}. See the intent, which is, loving, good deeds, encouraging one another. Note how specific that is!

Often we gather together for “fun, food and fellowship…” and while that may be fine it miss’s the goal God has for us if we are not actively seeking His honor, others well being as shown in  Hebrews 10:23-25. Sure, we can have fun, food and fellowship- which speaks of partnership, participation. But Christian fellowship is partnership with Him, participating in Him and His will, Word,goals. Being about His business. To do so we must be intent. Think, ” I am here not to be served but to serve!” From self-Focus to other’s focus! Deny yourself in order to lovingly, graciously, freely serve, prefer others for Jesus sake!

To “encourage” is to put courage into the heart of someone. To “discourage” is to take courage from the heart of someone. No one has  the ‘gift’ of discouragement- Though we tend to live as though this is a “fruit of the Spirit”- which it is not. It is an evidence of love-lessness. A lack of consideration for the welfare of others!!!

You not only  do you have the command from God, you have the capacity from God to be an encourager.  It is a moment by moment choice you make! No One outside of you can stop you from doing so. Does that mean you will always be appreciated, or recognized by others for it? Not necessarily. But if that is your goal then you miss the mark. For the mark, the true motivation is “…For Jesus sake!”

Be Encouraged… and Be An Encourager…by choice, as long as it is called ‘Today!’