Christian Encouragement Is More Than Saying, “I’ll Pray for You”

Hebrews 10:23 says, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” Then verse 24 says, “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.”

Those two verses belong together.

Life is not easy. People face sickness, rising costs, violence, abuse, affliction, hunger, famine, floods, and fires. Following Jesus can also be costly. The writer of Hebrews does not tell us to hold fast by pretending life is easy. He tells us to hold fast because God is faithful.

But sometimes our faith feels weak. Sometimes we lose sight of what is happening. Sometimes we become unsure about the next play. That is why teammates communicate.

A voice from the field can help a player regain focus. A teammate can remind someone, “You can do it.” The team does not remove every challenge, but it reminds the player that he is not facing the moment alone.

Christian encouragement works the same way.

Sometimes encouragement begins with a phone call to someone who has become discouraged. Sometimes it means praying with someone instead of only promising to pray. Sometimes it means reminding a friend of God’s faithfulness. Sometimes it means showing up when someone is going through a difficult season.

It is hard when people are hurting to be there. We may not know what to say. We may worry that we will make things worse. We may tell ourselves that someone else will reach out.

But Hebrews says we are to “consider” how to stir one another up. That means paying careful attention. Discipleship requires us to notice people.

Christian encouragement is not vague praise. It is helping someone take the next faithful step toward love and good works. It may mean inviting someone to serve with you, visiting someone in the hospital, going with someone to a nursing home, or simply telling someone how you see God working in their life.

The church becomes stronger when we refuse to let people quietly drift away. Sometimes a person misses a Sunday because of vacation, sickness, or life. That is okay. But when someone begins to disappear, a simple message can communicate love: “I missed seeing you.”

We do not reach out because we are keeping score. We reach out because we love people and want them to know they are not alone.

God is faithful. Our hope rests on Him, not on the consistency of our emotions. Because Jesus was faithful even unto the cross, we can hold fast when our faith feels weak. And because Christ has encouraged us, we can encourage one another.

Who needs a call, a prayer, a visit, or a reminder that God is faithful?

Originally published at lakelynn.org.