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“So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.”–   I Thessalonians 5:11 NLT

The Apostle Paul shared with us that encouragement is the responsibility of every follower of Jesus. In Acts 16 and 17, we learn that Paul and his fellow laborers wrote this letter to the people of Thessalonica after being flogged, thrown into prison in Macedonia, and forced out of Thessalonica.

At a time when Paul could have been discouraged by persecution and nursing his emotional and physical wounds, he was instead concerned for the Thessalonian believers. He modeled the personal and heartfelt encouragement he wanted them to offer others.

The believers were admonished to couple this encouragement with building one another up. The Greek word used here for “building” means “to build a house.” Using our words to encourage and edify fellow believers is likened to building a structure: the universal church.

This type of purposeful encouragement is vital for a believer’s faith, individually and collectively. This was especially true for the believers in Thessalonica because they were a new church facing persecution from nonbelieving Jews.

A commitment to encouraging others like this challenges us all to lift the countenance of someone else selflessly — no matter what we might be facing ourselves. As we offer soul-deep encouragement to others, we can trust that God, in His sovereignty, will encourage us.

Journeying Together,

John

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