Encourage One Another
Did you know that the most frequently mentioned One Another in the Bible is Encourage One Another? In fact, Hebrews 3:13 instructs us to “encourage one another daily” which implies that humans need a lot of encouragement, and need it on a consistent basis!
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We should make it our mission in life to be a constant source of encouragement to those around us. Here are ten practical ways to encourage:
1. Learn to sense when others need to be encouraged. Become adept at recognizing when people are experiencing these times and be available and willing to encourage them.
2. Encourage others by sharing a personal testimony of the work of God in our lives. For instance, in Acts 16:40, Paul and Silas encouraged the church by sharing with them how God delivered them from prison.
3. Encourage others by teaching sound doctrine (Titus 1:9).
4. We can encourage others by our example. In Titus 2:6–8, Paul told Titus to encourage the young men through his integrity, seriousness, and soundness of speech.
5. Encourage each other with hope (1 Thessalonians 4:17–18). Hope is future-oriented, so we can encourage others by sharing thoughts about positive, future opportunities.
6. Learn how to speak words of encouragement (1 Thessalonians 4:18).
7. Often, the “ministry of your presence” can make a powerful statement. Your presence at a recital, sporting event, or funeral service can be a potent expression of encouragement.
8. Other acts of encouragement would include: giving a physical or financial gift, defending someone, listening, demonstrating appropriate body language (a smile or hug), sharing a truthful and believable compliment, inquiring as to how someone is progressing toward a goal, praying with and for someone, making an unexpected phone call, or sharing a pertinent verse of Scripture.
9. Encourage others to develop God-given plans and goals and then become actively involved in helping them reach those goals (Hebrews 10:24). Psalm 64:5 speaks of those who “encourage each other in evil plans”; we should encourage one another in godly plans.
10. Use Scriptures to encourage others. “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4).
