Christians have a responsibility to encourage each other spiritually. In 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Paul wrote, “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another.” No matter what phase of life we are in or how busy our lives might be we all have an obligation, given to us by the word of God, to be spiritual encouragers.
Consider these three biblical ways to encourage others:
Pray for them – Paul constantly prayed for others. He thanked God for their faithfulness and prayed for their spiritual encouragement (Ephesians 1:18, Colossians 2:2). We need to pray for the spiritual strength of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Say it to them – Paul not only prayed for others and told them that he was praying, but Paul also encouraged them with his words. He was not the sort of Christian who found his seat at worship, avoided eye contact as much as possible, and then left quickly. Paul longed to see other Christians and to build them up spiritually with his words. We should be building up each other in the very same way.
Worship with them – Worshipping God together is one of the most powerful ways to encourage each other. Hebrews 10:25 teaches us that “assembling together” is not only commanded but also encouraging to one another. When a person chooses to avoid assembling with other Christians in worship, they not only miss out on being encouraged but also fail to encourage others.
We need to determine to be encouragers of other Christians. We must continually pray for others, encourage others with our words, and be physically present for worship.
Matt Langfield