RECEIVING ENCOURAGEMENT

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

                We all get discouraged from time to time. Our discouragement can take different forms. It can come in the form of a mild malaise; a general lack of energy and drive. It can come in the form of sadness; a dark cloud that hangs over our head. It can come in the form of depression; a sense of hopelessness and defeat. In whatever form discouragement manifests itself, it always hinders our forward progress on the journey of faith and life.

                As I am facing a major transition in my life, I have been experiencing a form of discouragement. It has come in the form of weariness, coupled with a sense of loss. It hinders me from being fully engaged in the ways that I should be. This past week, God spoke words of encouragement to me through some of the people I encountered.

                Suanne and I attended a gathering of retired pastors in the Twin Cities. Even though we have not yet crossed the line into the land of retirement, we were graciously invited to mingle with those who have. Most of the people gathered there were people we have labored alongside of for years. One of the things I have been struggling with as I move forward is the loss of those connections. It was greatly encouraging to know that there is a group of people who are actively working at maintaining those critical connections. I came away from that gathering truly encouraged.

                On our trip to England in May, we had the privilege to meet an author that I have come to appreciate. Since that time, we have been exchanging periodic e-mails. I shared with him my feelings about moving into the future and about the gathering of retired pastors. He graciously responded with words of positive challenge and encouragement.

                On Thursday morning, I met individually with two friends, each of whom spoke words of encouragement into my life.

                There are three times in the New Testament where we are specifically told to encourage one another. Each comes from a different angle. In 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul is writing about the return of Christ. He reminds the Thessalonians that they cannot figure out when Christ will return. Then he challenges them to not give in to the darkness that is all around them. Instead, he calls them to live lives that reflect God’s light into the dark world. He concludes with the words, Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

                The other two occurrences of the command to encourage one another come in the book of Hebrews. In the first incident, encouragement is seen as a safeguard against the hardening of our heart.

    See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. As has just been said:

"Today, if you hear his voice,

do not harden your hearts

as you did in the rebellion."

 (Hebrews 3:12-15)

                The second occurrence comes in Hebrews 10. It is a powerful reminder of our hope in Christ. It is a jubilant passage, calling us to stay the course. It ends with a call to encourage one another.

    Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:19-25

                Discouragement is like a virus that infects our soul. It can linger in the shadows for a long time before it attacks, sometimes with devastating effect. That is why we need regular doses of encouragement from one another. We are co-laborers for the cause of Christ. We are fellow travelers on this amazing journey of faith. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.