“But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit,21 and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.” v. 20-21 (NLT)
Encouragement, we all need it! As believers in Christ we are called to support each other and build each other up in the of the Holy Spirit. That sounds like a lot, and sometimes we make encouragement more difficult than it needs to be. So, I want to issue you a challenge today: Encourage someone!
Now I’m not talking about some cheesy form of encouragement just to say that you have done it. I am talking about encouraging someone with heart-felt, Holy Spirit led encouragement! Here’s how.
1. Let them know you believe in them! One of the biggest ways that I am encouraged is when I know people believe in me.
2. Let them know when they do something great or not so great! You have to be careful here because we all want approval. Knowing how and when to encourage is important. Let’s face it, it always easier to tear people down instead of building someone up. Find what they have done well and encourage them. This too can go a long way, and even challenge them to do better the next time they attempt that.
3. Say Thank You! We all have people who have invested in us. A heartfelt thank you can be encouraging and strengthen a friendship in powerful ways!
These are just three ways that we can build each other up. I hope you will encourage someone today and begin the process of encouraging people on a regular basis.
Today, Encourage someone you know by, saying thank you for …, letting them know that they have done a great job at …. , or simply letting them know how much you appreciate them and how much you believe in them.
Dan Gould 