I am blessed by God to travel and meet with wonderful Christian brother and sisters in many parts of the world. Whether I’m at home in the so called ‘Bible Belt’ of Northern Ireland, in the Muslim dominated culture of Turkey or in the liberal Catholic culture of Southern Europe, the need remains the same; people need encouragement.
Encourage One Another
The apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonians and said:
“Therefore encourage and comfort one another and build up one another, just as you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
Two thousand years later it is hard for us to understand the culture or the context in which the Thessalonians lived but the ‘command’ from Paul suggests that encouragement was something that those who believed in Jesus would require.
When things don’t go as we had hoped, when we face opposition, when people turn against us we, like the Thessalonians, can face discouragement. The circumstances we face can be tough and the pressures we are experience in an increasingly troubled world can bring difficult challenges.
Now, more than ever, I believe that God’s people need encouragement. The enemy would love us to ‘throw in the towel’, but we know that through Christ we are already on the victory side.
Encourage yourself in the Lord
Even when there is no one to encourage us we can encourage ourselves in the Lord through focusing on the promises of God and the miracles we have already seen God do in our lives.
Isaiah 41:10 reminds us:
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Whilst it’s great to receive a word of encouragement from others we need to make it our daily practice to encourage ourselves in the Lord. That way we can drive back the tide of discouragement that wants to paralyse God’s people and, by being encouraged, we can be in a position to encourage others.
Releasing a Wave of Encouragement
I believe it is time for each of us who are called by the name of Jesus, to begin to release a wave of encouragement across the body of Christ. This is a ministry we are all called to and can be part of.
In Hebrews 3:13, Paul says: “Encourage one another daily”
Join me in seeing a continual wave of encouragement spread across our nation and
across the world by committing to these three simple steps.
Spend time each day encouraging yourself in the Lord
Send a short text or what’s app message of encouragement to three different Christian brothers or sisters each day.
Invite each person you encourage to join you in releasing a wave of faith filled encouragement by following these steps.
Together, we can encourage one another, and see the purposes of Christ fulfilled in
our generation!
Your friend,
Tommy Stewart
Leadership Adviser and Encourager
Invite Tommy to speak:
Tommy is open to considering invitations to speak at churches, conferences, ministry schools and retreats. Please send an email to: director@christianswholead.com to explore how Tommy might help encourage, equip and empower your church, ministry or business.