Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (1 Thess. 5:11)
My life is built on the firm foundation of God’s Word. But if we could see with our physical eyes the realities of what happens in the spiritual realm, I have no doubt I would see the words of others as the scaffold that holds me up and helps me to stand firm.
The time a coworker called me “a deep well” comes to mind, along with the moment my pastor announced that I really know my Bible and the countless times my husband has told me I am loved, cherished, and important. Words matter, especially when those words confirm the identity we have in Christ.
No wonder God calls each of us to the ministry of encouragement.
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing (1 Thess. 5:11).
A little Bible scholar trick is to intentionally pause to ask what the “therefore” is there for when we find that little word in Scripture. In this case, the “therefore” points us to the big reason why we should take the time to speak life-giving words to each other. It’s not because we should traffic in warm fuzzies. The reason is bigger, much bigger . . .
For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess. 5:2–9)
The eight verses that precede the command to build others up aren’t about happy words and Hallmark card sentiments; they’re about the return of Christ. Through this lens, we see six reasons to intentionally build up our brothers and sisters in Christ.
- The day of the Lord is coming.
- This should not surprise us.
- We are children of the light and of the day, not children of the darkness or of the night.
- Since we know Jesus is coming, we need to watch for Him.
- As we watch, we need to protect our hearts with faith and love and our minds with the hope of our salvation.
- Because of Jesus, our destiny is hope, not wrath.
When you send the note of encouragement you’ve been meaning to write, when you take the time to text a friend that you see Christ working in her heart, when you pause to say thank you to someone for building up the kingdom, you are choosing not to waste the wait by pointing others to the promised hope of Christ’s imminent return.
When the “one anothers” around us are wilting under the weight of brokenness, when the cares of life bend our shoulders or clench our fists, when hope feels far off . . . we have a plan for that.
Encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
Consider:
Consider a time when the encouraging words of another Christ-follower made a difference in your life. What was it about their words that made such an impact?
Pray:
Ask the Lord to help you see who has lost hope around you and to know how to build them up.
Trust:
Jesus is coming back. He really is! That is a source of permanent hope for every Christ-follower, so let’s remind each other of His return often.
“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” (Rev. 22:12–13)
Do:
Put today’s verse into action by intentionally building someone else up with words that point them to our hope in Christ.
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