How important it is to encourage one another

I Thessalonians 5:11 (NASB)

Therefore, encourage one another, and build up one another…..

Hebrews 3:13 (NIV)

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. 

Hebrews 10:24-25 (NLT)

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.  And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another……..

Encouraging another is one of the most important acts of love and humility that you can ever do in your life.  It is a rare human being who does not like hearing or reading personal words of encouragement from another.   Yet, why is it that so few people offer encouragement to others and, as a result so few people feel encouraged?  When was the last time someone spoke or wrote to you words of encouragement?  A better question……..when was the last time you spoke or wrote words of encouragement to someone else?  

Encourage means to inspire with confidence; to stimulate to action by assisting and supporting; to make another feel special, to transmit trust, to challenge another to be the best he or she can be.  The Greek word for encourage means to help, to comfort, to set free so that a person can move forward and realize his or her potential. God has commanded His people through the Scriptures to encourage one another.   It’s important enough to God that encouragement is mentioned 63 times in Scripture. 

Words of encouragement should be intentional as Barnabas’ intentional encouragement of Paul in the book of Acts (e.g. Acts 9:26-27).  Words of encouragement should be timely and on the mark (e.g. Proverbs 25:11).  Words of encouragement should never be withheld, yet, frankly, most of us choose to withhold such words……why?

Encouraging one another is a main reason why people attend church.  A primary reason why people stop attending church or are sporadic in church attendance is because they are not encouraged in the experience.  As an unbeliever and a beginning Christian, it is not expected that you would go to church to encourage others as much as you need encouragement yourself.  However, as you mature as a Christian, with hopefully maturity coming in part due to the encouragement from others, then you should do more encouraging others than others encouraging you.  Mutual encouragement is the biblical model with the more mature Christians setting the example.  

Who is a model of encouragement in your life?  I hope that everyone reading this has at least one person in your life who is like Barnabas was to Paul.  I feel so fortunate because I can list several models of encouragement in my life (MA, TA, AB, WC, JD, JM, SN come to mind quickly---I’m telling these folks separately that I’ve listed them as examples to me), people who consistently model the definition of encouragement.  Encouraging others is not a natural human characteristic as it is to criticize and complain and condemn. A great evidence of spiritual growth and maturity is the ability to consistently to encourage others. 

Where do you stand as an encouraging person? Are you a model of encouragement in lives around you?  All it takes is to lessen the self-centeredness in your life and take the time (and sometimes the energy) to tell or write others those words of encouragement that they should hear and often need to hear.  They should not be false or flattering words, but words that you mean and words well-deserving for others to hear or read.

“A word of encouragement during a failure is worth more than an hour of praise after success”—Unknown“

There is nothing better than encouragement from a good friend”—Katherine Hathaway