Do you have friends or family who constantly keep talking about their never-ending problems? And have you felt like giving up on them? Well, I don’t know about you but I often have these words popping in my head “There is no point in encouraging”.
I do have some people around who are going through very rough patches in their life. Broken and depressed, desperate for a change. Sometimes, it looks like walking through a never-ending tunnel waiting and hoping for a ray of light to appear. And it seems like no amount of words of encouragement convinces them to stand strong.
Honestly, there was a point in time when frustration struck and I started to give up on my friend. Thoughts of defeat overwhelmed me and I decided that there was no point in trying to encourage her or to make her understand. Little did I realize that I was too far away from the TRUTH.
The Truth is found in the pages of scripture. It is written in Hebrews 3:13 –
‘But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.’ (NIV)
The moment I read this verse; my eyes welled up. I was convicted of how easily I had decided on giving up on my dear friend. Our God is a God of second chances, and He is so patient with us. How many times have I knelt pouring out my frustrations in prayer and He hasn’t given up on me instead has encouraged me with his Word? He has refreshed my soul. This is the heart of God.
‘Encourage’ – This is a command that we need to follow in our daily life. Encouragement is highly emphasized in the Bible because it is very important in our walk of faith.
In 1 Thess 5:11 we are called to encourage and build one another.
In Hebrews 10:25, we read “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Proverbs 12:25 ESV “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.”
I can go on quoting verses which talks about encouragement.
It is God’s desire that His children encourage and exhort one another so none of them would fall into temptation and drift away from Him. Aren’t we called to be like Him? Aren’t we supposed to imitate His nature? Never give up … Encourage without ceasing! As long as there is “today”, we have to exhort one another.
Encourage each other when things are not going fine. Encourage each other when someone falls into temptation. Lift them up in words and in prayer so they may be able to stand. Encourage someone who is weak in faith. We need to help each other to be strong in our belief in Jesus Christ. Encourage and pray with someone who are too weak to pray for themselves. Little words of encouragement build lives. The extra ounce of strength that comes through fellowship, prayers and sharing our lives with others who trust God makes a lot of difference.
So, find if you have people whom you know is in need of a word of encouragement, just go and speak words of Life into them. Even if it’s the 1000th time, just do it.
Encourage – It makes a difference!
May this blog encourage you to be an encourager. That’s the kind of person God wants us to be!
Touched reading every word !
Blessed are they who have the gift of making friends, loving & encouraging them….for it is one of God’s best gifts.
Thank you Manju.. God bless you!
Really encouraging words to strive on to see the result….. God does beautiful things in our life, its just that we need to be encouraged to keep going….. Come up with more of your experiances with God…. May God Bless you:)
Thank you Charles 🙂 Keep praying..
This touched me so deeply ! From the very first line, I knew my Daddy alone was talking to me ! Thanks ever so much for the precious words! Keep it going chechi ! Let Daddy alone strengthen you to share your blessed experiences !
Thanks Glomol..
Thanks for re-emphasizing this thought Phebe..GOD BLESS YOU and this new ministry that you started…
Thanks Ujji… 🙂 Need your prayers…
Very true Phebe… An ecouraging word can make wonders.. Keep it going dear!!!
Thanks Swetha.. You are an encourager! 🙂
great post Phebe ….
“Little words of encouragement build lives”. So true and very well written. In this fallen world where we come face-to-face with another overwhelming issue on a regular basis, we need each other’s encouraging words to heal the wound and go on. Thank you for the reminder.