7 Ways To Build Up And Encourage Others
Here’s some advice from Paul on how we can build each other up and encourage one another in Christ Jesus (from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22).
1) “Always be joyful.”
I can easily get hung up on the word ‘always’ and wonder if Paul really meant it. ‘Always’ means every time, on every occasion, without exception. To be joyful in every circumstance, you must have a source of joy not connected to your circumstances (discover what it means to pray with joy in the Spirit).
“Joy is what God gives, not what we work up to,” writes Eugene Peterson.
The joy that God gives is not a shallow happiness or an escape from sorrow. Pain and hardship still come, but joy remains because God knows how to wipe away every tear, bring beauty from ashes, and create new life through Jesus, who makes all things new.
Finding joy in the life of faith is what we were created for.
“The life of faith has the support of an entire creation,” Peterson continues. “And the resources of a magnificent redemption. Without Christ, we are doing it the hard way, and with Christ, we are doing it the easy way” (“A Long Obedience in the Same Direction” by Eugene Peterson).
2) “Never stop praying.”
Too often, I’ve treated prayer as common and not sacred.
The truth is, the almighty God, the Creator of the universe, the one who formed you in your mother’s womb, invites you and me to communicate with him.
God’s Word instructs us to be still and know that he is God, to bring our requests to him, to thank him for all he’s done, and to never stop praying (here’s how to find strength in stillness).
What does unceasing prayer look like? One way is to start each day with a simple prayer of worship:
“Lord, today is the day you have made. I will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24)!
And continue that prayer throughout your day.
3) “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
Being thankful in every circumstance, with no exceptions, is not intuitive for me. It’s much easier for me to find things to complain about.
Paul clarifies that it is God’s will for those who belong to Christ to be thankful.
That’s a sobering reminder.
If you want to do God’s will by giving thanks in all circumstances, take a few minutes at the end of each day and journal a few things you are thankful for from that day. You’ll be amazed at how you see him working in your life.
4) “Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.”
Has someone ever told you, “Don’t be a wet blanket” or “Stop raining on their parade”?
It means don’t smother the “fire” of excitement that others may be enjoying by being negative or discouraging.
Paul instructs us not to stifle or quench the Holy Spirit. This means it must be possible to subdue the work of the Holy Spirit or be unresponsive to his leading and guidance in our lives.
Don’t block the work of the Holy Spirit with a negative attitude. Instead, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit for Jesus to be revealed to you and those around you.
5) “Do not scoff at prophecies but test everything that is said.”
Scoffing means to mock something that is said or done.
It’s important not to write off something labeled prophecy but even more important not to believe anything said or done just because it has the label of prophecy.
Paul wisely advises us to test everything said in the name of prophecy by examining and measuring it by the written Word of God.
This is wise discernment.
6) “Hold on to what is good.”
Once you’ve tested, examined, and recognized what is good from God’s Word, hold firmly to it.
Be aware your grip on what is good will be tested.
Followers of Jesus travel the same ground that everyone else walks on, shop in the same stores, observe the same news, are citizens under the same government, deal with the same costs of groceries and gas, fear the same dangers, are subject to the same pressures, and feel the same distresses.
The difference is knowing who you’re anchored to.
Every day is an opportunity to build your confidence in the One who preserves us. Rest in God’s unchanging love and boundless grace.
Hold on to the Lord, who is good.
Finally,
7) “Stay away from every kind of evil.”
Follow this advice from Paul and receive the promise to hold onto:
“Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).