Do You Need Encouragement?

I was thinking about encouragement today, and thought I'd share some thoughts on this. When was the last time someone encouraged you?

 

What is encouragement? More than a pat on the back, it is meant to spur an individual on to continue his task, or to reach his goal. I think we have all been in situations that may have seemed overwhelming to us, and we have felt doubts as to whether the energy used for them was worth it. Maybe we felt incapable. Or perhaps we became discouraged, and wanted to give up. With no one by our side, we may have wondered if our intentions were useless and invaluable. Or we didn't see the results we thought we would. Have you ever experienced this?

 

The Bible tells us in Hebrews 10:24-25:

 

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.

 

During marathons, we see people cheering at the side lines, to encourage the runners to persevere. At ball games, and especially at children's ball games, there are spectators clapping and cheering for their favorite player or team. All of this encourages the players to do their best. It has a powerful effect.

 

Shouldn't we do the same to others? If we see someone doing something nice, we should let them know we appreciate it. If someone is trying to make our world a better place, we need to let them know we acknowledge their efforts. And as the above Scripture states, all of us in the family of God need to encourage each other in following Christ. We live in a hostile world and being a Christian and living a righteous life is becoming more and more difficult. We need each other. And we need to encourage and pray for each other. For the Day is rapidly approaching!