DAY 13 - The Ministry of Encouragement

Scripture Reading — 2 Timothy 4:1-5

Have you ever been around a positive person who makes others smile? Such people can brighten even the darkest of days. On the other hand, negative people can leave us feeling drained and discouraged.

Many of us have the opportunity to gather in buildings dedicated to worship. Others will gather in the coldness of a prison cell or in a small, secret place, fearful of authorities. We need the fellowship of God’s people and the instruction of his Word. We need encouragement and the affirmation of belonging to something bigger than ourselves.

The gift of encouragement is important in our lives. En­cour­agement is a gift in the home, the workplace, the church—wherever we find ourselves. We can come alongside others and be there for one another. We can listen, comfort, console, affirm. It’s a way of living out the command to love one another.

Mentors—those who guide others as they grow— are essential in the church, the family, and the workplace. They teach by word and example. As we journey in faith, an encouraging mentor makes all the difference. Take time to recall the people who’ve been encouragers in your life. How do you benefit from their encouragement today? They’re the ones who were there when you thought you’d never laugh again. They were the ones who listened to you; whereas others just talked. Then ask yourself, “When was the last time I encouraged someone?” It’s not difficult, and the people you encourage are so blessed by it.

Paul charged young Timothy to make the ministry of God’s Word his top priority. It wasn’t to be done just at opportune times, but at all times. It wasn’t to be so inoffensive as never to correct or rebuke. A surgeon uses an anesthetic but will also use a knife. Timothy was to correct, rebuke, and encourage. He was to do so with patience and accuracy, to encourage his listeners and warn them when they were tempted to follow false teachings.

People need God’s Word. People need encouragement. Knowing God’s Word, we should share its teaching and affirmation. Like Timothy, preachers have no choice. And neither do we! Sometimes we take people for granted and don’t see the ways they are gifted. We forget to thank others for the ways they bless our lives. 

Does your family know how much you value them? How can you be a source of encouragement in your community? Who in your church could use an encouraging word to grow in their gifts?

Lord, make us a people who encourage one another and bring out the best in those around us. Help us to be encouraged by Christ’s example of encouraging. Help me to recognize the struggler or the lonely—anyone who needs your encouragement of love and hope today. In your name, Amen.