Encouragement: The Fuel of HopeSample

The Encouragement of Others

We live in challenging times. It is in such times that we need hope and we need encouragement. Hope envisions a better future and encouragement is what gets us there.

We are not meant to do things alone, which is why the encouragement of others is so important. And it is not just we who need encouragement. We can be the one who encourages and lifts others up, cheering them on as they seek their goals. Consider this:

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” ~Leo Buscaglia

The very essence of Christianity is built on the same foundation as these words. The underlying principle of Christianity is love. Jesus said that the whole of the law and prophets was based upon just two commandments: love God, and love one another. Doing the things Leo Buscaglia mentioned is how we encourage and walk in love with others.

We are encouraged in the scriptures to stand firm and strong in our walk with Christ. And we encourage others when they are weak by standing with them.

COVID severely affected many people as they became isolated. Churches stopped meeting, and many people have fallen away from the church.

But now, if you are able to meet together, do so. It is by coming together with our brethren in Christ that we are encouraged and grow strong. Some are weak, some have been knocked about by the world, and perhaps this is your situation. But when we come together as the body of Christ, we are encouraged and strengthened. We learn, we share, we pray, and we heal spiritually through the encouragement of meeting with others.

There is great encouragement and power in the scriptures. Reading about how the people of God overcame through the working of God by prayer, faith, the Holy Spirit, and the power of the Lord gives tremendous encouragement. What God did then He is able to do now, and He still encourages those who love Him today.

So, take hold of the encouragement in the words of Jesus who said:

“I have said this to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Call to action:

Be the one who encourages someone today. Be the wind beneath their wings. Be the one who breathes fresh air onto the embers of someone else’s hopes, dreams, and aspirations. And seek the encouragement of God through prayer and studying His words in the Bible.