ENCOURAGING ONE ANOTHER

"... and let us consider [thoughtfully] how we may encourage one another to love and to do good deeds... " -- Hebrews 10:24 (Amplified Bible)
"Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing."  -- I Thessalonians 5:11 (NRSV)  

Image result for encouraging one another

    To encourage means to:  give support, confidence, or hope to someone; give support and advice to someone to help them do or continue to do something; thelp stiulate development.  Encourage and building each other up go hand in hand.  Here are some ways we can encourage and build each other up which will in turn help us become healthy, thriving churches.
1.  Have high regards, great respect and favorable thoughts for each other.
2.  Be thoughtful and intentional when you speak.  Consider where someone is coming from and choose wisely your words.
3.  Be gracious.  When someone makes a mistake, be quick to forgive.  There's grace enough for everyone.
4.  Be understanding. "Understanding starts by being an active listener (not planning a reply as one is speaking), asking intelligent questions to gain further insights, and being accepting of what the speaker is sharing. Then, answer without condemning. Or don’t answer at all and decide to just be a listening ear." ("Simple Ways to Build Each Other Up)
5.  God speak not gossip.  Keep things in confidence.  Avoid hurting others by repeating unclaimed rumors behind their backs.  
6.  Be humble.  Humility is a mark of spiritual maturity.  Treat each other with respect, regardless of position and treasure them as gifts from God.
7.  Be hopeful.  Your witness of hopefulness allows others to be open to better things to come.
8.  Love others as Jesus has loved you -- unconditionally, seeing the best in people, and wanting the best for them.
9.  Share what you know.  Share your experiences of God in your life and affirm how you see God working in their lives.  Be a mentor.
     How can and to whom can you build up and inspire others?  How can you work towards making that a reality?
                                                Resource:  https://www.becomingminimalist.com/ten-simple-ways-to-build-each-other-up/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CHRISTIANS AND COFFEE BEANS

Image
1 Peter 1:17-23 John 17:14-19 Potatoes, eggs or coffee beans? Which are Christians called to be? We're going to find out as we explore what it means to be “in the world but not of the world” in today's message, “Christians and Coffee Beans.” Put three pots of water on to boil. When the water begins to boil, put some potatoes in one, eggs in another pot, and coffee beans in the third point. Boil for 20 minutes The potatoes went into the pot hard. After boiling in the hot water, they are now soft, easily broken up and mashed. The eggs, with their fragile shells and soft centers, are also changed. They are now hard-boiled. The coffee beans are different. While they look the same as they did when they were put into the water, they have transformed the water. The water has taken on the smell, taste and color of the coffee Jesus was not of this world, yet he came into the world to redeem the world by his death and resurrection an...
Read more

OATHS -- GONE WITH THE WIND?

Image
Leviticus 19:11-12 Matthew 5:33-37 Even if we've never seen the movie, Gone with the Wind, we're probably familiar with Scarlett O'Hara's oath. Framed by the sunset, Scarlet raises her fist in defiance and says, “As God is my witness, I will never be hungry again!” In today's passage from the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus leads us into a new understanding of oaths and profanity. Did the character, Scarlett O’Hara in the movie, Gone with the Wind , take the Lord’s name in vain when she made her famous oath? “As God is my witness, as God is my witness, they’re not going to lick me. I’m going to live through this and when it’s all over, I’ll never be hungry again. No, nor any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill. As God is my witness, I’ll never be hungry again. Leviticus 19:11-12 tells us not to take oaths, make promises that profane the Lord’s name, that is take the Lord’s name in vain. Scarlett’s oath is a profane ...
Read more