I’ve been thinking about this term and realized how important “encouragement” is in everyone’s life. As a child I felt encouraged by my parents, my family and my church family. Unfortunately encouragement from my teachers seemed to be in short supply.

What about your life? Was there encouragement from the right places or was it even a level of discouragement.

This verse urges us to be encouraging, not just occasionally but on a “daily basis”.

What a task!

To make sure we find the good and faithfulness in all those we know and spend time with. Our first encouragement should be within our family. Children need encouragement to grow and become good citizens. Not only in the world but as Christians. Society today seems to want everyone to be faithful only to themselves, benefit themselves and seek self satisfaction in all they do.

We are to help our fellow Christians and indeed our fellow man by encouraging them to follow Christ and live lives according to God’s desires for man.

God created man in His own image and was expecting to have fellowship with man and encourage us. Instead man has, by and large, turned his back on God and lives, lives without morals, direction or care for others.

How can we ignore this teaching as it clearly identifies the value of encouraging others and gathering together to encourage each other regularly.

To sit alone by oneself only brings on loneliness and discouragement. We need the strength of our fellow Christians to encourage us in our Christian walk.

Is this not a direct command from God? I believe so and therefore after accepting Salvation through faith, there are responsibilities to be followed through with.

Sharing the joy of Salvation and encouraging others in the faith. Let’s not shirk our duties as Christians and fellow human beings.

Encouragement has some criteria around it.

I hope and pray that all of us are encouragers. Not just to those we agree 100% with but to all we come in contact with.

Encouragement can also be in the form of “good advice” delivered in the kindness of ways.

Our responsibilities are clear as Christians, parents, friends and acquaintances. Like all humans, Christians are not all exactly on the same page theologically. But we believe in the same God, remember the same Christ Jesus who died and rose for our sins. We celebrate our Christianity in the same way. Let us not discourage anyone from seeing things slightly differently in God’s word.

God speaks to us as individuals. We must encourage one another in love. We are the family of God and the Church. Encourage, encourage, encourage.

Be faithful encouragers.