Encourage~ to inspire with courage, spirit or hope; to spur on, give support; to help
When I look at the definition of encourage, all I see is Jesus. He is the ultimate Encourager; He never stops spurring us on or dampens His encouragement for His children. As believers and followers of Him, He has sent us a “helper” too, His Holy Spirit.
“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever.” John 14: 16 (ESV)
With this “Helper” inside of us, we, too, are able to be a source of encouragement for others as we draw our encouragement from Him. He has equipped us with His Spirit to encourage others towards Himself, as well as truth, love, obedience and growth (just to name a few!).
“Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up…” 1 Thessalonians 5: 11a (NIV)
When we let the Spirit guide us, encouragement will rise up in many ways and we never know the impact it may have on a soul. It could come in the simplicity of a smile as you pass a stranger at the store, or even in the depth of asking a friend how you can help rather than giving your opinion or advice. Most people could probably benefit from hearing they are amazing from time to time, and some people just need a hug. Encouragement can comfort others and build a system of trust and understanding between people; it helps, adds to faith and spreads God’s love and peace. Encouragement shows we are working together for the good of God and others~ what joy it must bring our Heavenly Father!
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” Hebrews 10: 24 (NIV)
Encouragement is selfless and beautiful. It motivates and moves, inspires and intercedes. All I hear is the constant sound of Jesus singing to me, telling me He loves me. He never stops telling us this, but do we believe it or hear it?? In our sin, in our sorrow, in our joys and triumphs, never does He stop telling us He loves us! Maybe there is someone in your life today that needs to hear that they are loved…by you and by a Wonderful Savior. A friend shares about not being able to do it on our own. May we be reminded of our need for God and other believers; He is our Help and sends others to help us too (can I get a Thank You Jesus!?). Another has a beautiful testimony of how the encouragement of one individual can have a lasting impact in the difficult times of life thus encouraging us to look past our flaws and imperfections and trust that God’s strength is made perfect in our weaknesses. We need encouragement and God is the One who encourages us to go through life, to face fears, live loved and to be ourselves.
I will leave you with one of my favorite verses and the verse in which My Journey of Faith Ministries is founded:
“Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today.” Hebrews 3: 13