Contractors of Grace
With God’s help, I’ve been trying lately to offer specific, bold words of encouragement. This is something that I admire in others and want to grow in myself. Would you be surprised to know that for the Christian, being an encourager isn’t optional—it’s a command? The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Thess. 5:11:
“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”
For me, it’s a bit of an experiment, as I’ve not been so direct with encouragement before. It’s been interesting to see the reaction when saying things like, “You are a great mom. I know it can be hard, but keep going.” In my observation, most people are not accustomed to hearing unprompted encouragement. The initial reaction is something like bewilderment blending into joy. To say to someone who in public prayer has just exposed themselves to the observations of others:“You don’t know how much that prayer blessed me.” Or better yet, being more specific: “In your prayer, that bit about courage in evangelism challenged me to share with my uncle” is a glorious display of building one another up.
Maybe for you, this kind of Thessalonian boldness is as natural as breathing. For most of us, progress will be steady, but incremental. Building something of value takes careful thought and intention—so much more, the building up of a child of God. What a wonderful part we have to play in each others’ lives! You and I are contractors of grace, building one another up for the sake of Jesus!
At TTBC, we want to create a Thessalonian culture of encouragement. I want to urge you to try it. To look someone in the eye, and offer them specific, lavish encouragement. Watch as the initial flush of embarrassment morphs into a warm smile. As a church, we may be a bit unpracticed in this discipline, but as we start to obey God’s command to build one another up, it will be no surprise when someone piles on reassuring words. The truth is, we leave too many good things unsaid.
There are some who feel listless among the local church, wondering, “What’s my part to play in all of this? One thing you can be for the building up of the body, is an encourager. You can be the reason why someone presses on. We’re called to “spur one another on to love and good deeds.” What better way than to say to someone, and you can say it in a hundred different ways, “You’re doing great. Keep going!”
