another and build one another                                             up, just as you are doing.”

When the great painter Benjamin West was a young boy, he decided to paint a picture of his sister. He got out bottles of ink and succeeded in making a mess. When his mother got home, she said, “What a beautiful picture and kissed him. Later on in life, he said, “That kiss made me a painter.”

Encouragement goes along way. In this life, people need to be on the giving and receiving end of encouragement. Encouragement means to come alongside to help, strengthen or support. Every man or woman needs someone who will encourage them in the whole of their life. And if believers can’t find encouragement in any other sphere of life, they should be able to find it in their churches.

God created human and spiritual communities for various reasons, but one reason He did so was to provide encouragement within  those communities. In fact. God expects his children to encourage one another. God’s children ought to encourage one another to obey God’s Word, forgive wrongdoers, love enemies; live holy; trust God; do good works and forsake their sin.

Encouragement is essential to the spiritual, emotional and mental wellbeing of the Christian Community! Paul underscored this truth in I Thessalonians 5:11. Paul encouraged them to keep doing what they were already doing. What did Paul encourage them to keep doing? He exhorted them to keep on encouraging and building one another as they live as children of the day in light of the Day of the Lord.

I Thessalonians 5:11 implies that Christians are expected to be in fellowship with one another, to encourage and build one another up in life and in the Lord! Who are you currently encouraging and building. If you’re doing so, keep doing what you’re already doing!