Encourage One Another

As a teenager, I excelled in music. So I was thrilled when my school held a talent show during one lunch hour. When my turn came, I clumsily walked to center stage, carrying my instrument in one hand and a music stand in the other, dragging a chair with one foot while using the other foot to drag the music that fell off my stand a few steps into my journey. When I was situated, I opened the book of TV Theme Songs and played the Cheers theme song: “Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got. Taking a break from all your worries sure would help a lot.” I could relate!

Today’s passage was written to a group of Christians who could also relate to those lyrics. They were being persecuted and were ready to throw in the towel.

Verses 24-25 of today’s passage teach us some key truths about encouragement:

For encouragement to work, there have to be encouragers and “encouragees.” Verse 24 says, “let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,” (emphasis added). It does not say, “I am going to encourage you,” “you encourage each other,” or, “they need to encourage us.’ All of us must be in the encouragement game.

Verse 24 says “consider,” a word that points to INTENTIONAL, attentive, continuous care. The exhortation here is to take careful note of each other’s spiritual welfare. This requires concentrated attention. We must be close enough to other people to recognize their needs and to be able to speak into their lives.

The day after that talent show, Mr. Ropp heard a few of my peers making fun of my performance. I was feeling pretty small until he poked his head in the door and said to me so all could hear, “You did a great job yesterday! About the only thing I can play is the radio, and you got up there and made that baritone sound so good. I don’t know how you did it, but I’m kinda jealous.” Then he walked away, leaving me encouraged and setting me on a trajectory that led to a college music scholarship.

How are you intentionally encouraging people and motivating them in God’s path for them?