Saturday 28 January 2017

Is Encouraging Each Other Important?

I recently attended a youth camp at which the primary focus was outreach. It was a great encouragement to me especially hearing testimonies of how God was working with and in us. I went looking in the Bible for some verses about encouraging one another. I found a verse in first Thessalonians chapter four and verse eighteen, Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” This verse is straight after the verses that talk about Jesus’ second coming. If we are to comfort one another with thoughts of Christ’s soon coming, wouldn’t it also be of great comfort to encourage one another with testimonies of more souls come to the light of Christ’s soon returning?

I also looked at Ellen White’s writings to see what she had to say on the topic. In Manuscript Releases I found this quote, The Lord wants living members in His church, men and women who will encourage one another in faithful service.” I also found another great quote in Steps to Christ, “We sustain a loss when we neglect the privilege of associating together to strengthen and encourage one another in the service of God. The truths of His Word lose their vividness and importance in our minds. Our hearts cease to be enlightened and aroused by their sanctifying influence, and we decline in spirituality. In our association as Christians we lose much by lack of sympathy with one another. He who shuts himself up to himself is not filling the position that God designed he should. The proper cultivation of the social elements in our nature brings us into sympathy with others and is a means of development and strength to us in the service of God.”

We may not be able to associate and encourage each other in person all the time, but we can share our testimony and experiences to encourage one another in faith and service.

If you have any testimonies or experiences of the working of our Almighty Savior in your life, we’d love to hear them and be able share them with others.

God bless and go bless,