Most of us can remember opening our lunch box, or brown paper bag, and pulling out the food source that would sustain us until we got home from school for the day. That supreme food sustenance was none other than the PB&J sandwich. It was a staple for kids growing up! There’s just something about how the elements of the sandwich come together to produce a sandwich that is desired by children of all ages. Whether you liked the jelly more than the peanut butter, or vice versa, the combination was superb together.
Encouragement is a lot like the peanut butter that went on our favorite sandwich; the more that you spread it around, the better things stick together. Me, I liked when my mom would spread the peanut butter so thick that when you took a bite of the sandwich it left a glob of PB stuck to the roof of your mouth. The more the PB, the better the sandwich!
Now just as kids love eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, adults love to receive and need the encouragement from one another. The problem is that a lot of people struggle with spreading encouragement as thick as they should in order to enjoy its benefits. Encouragement needs to be shared and spread as graciously as the peanut butter on your favorite sandwich!
Exposing the Action to Encourage One Another
What Does It Mean to Encourage One Another?
When we think of encouraging one another it shouldn’t be left to a mere “at’ta boy!” No, it should include much more than an emotionless quip. Encouraging someone should involve the confidence of the person encouraging transferred to the person being encouraged. Encouraging one another is to inspire with confidence and give hope or courage to develop bonds that can withstand more than one can on their own.
The bonds of encouragement are what hold people together when life smacks them in the face. Just think about it. The last time you faced a difficult time in your life, did you want someone to jump on your back and tell you to “suck it buttercup?” No! You wanted someone to come along side of you and help you tote the weight of the burden in which you were dealing with.
What Does the Bible Say About Encouraging One Another?
The Bible talks about the concept of encouraging one another throughout many stories in the Old and New Testament. Most of the time when we read of encouraging stories it is in the form of God’s encouragement to Israel to remain faithful to Him in order to receive His blessings. In the NT we also see stories of encouragement, but these accounts are more horizontal directives than they are vertical decrees like the OT.
A few passages in the NT are key in communicating the need for encouraging one another in the church. The first one is found in Heb. 10:24-25, where the author writes, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” It is no secret that this passage is used to guilt Christians into coming to church, but there’s more to the verse. Not only is the writer warning against not coming together in order to practice the Allēlōn Principle, but he is also instructing the church to be encouraging to one another.
Just think about it this way: You miss church a couple Sundays because of “good” reasons. Then one of the elders calls you to see where you have been. The last thing that you are wanting is a lecture from the elder on why you need to be in church. What you really need is some encouragement to see why it’s important to be in church. That’s what is being communicated here. “Hey brother, I really missed you the last couple weeks. I hope everything is alright. I just wanted to let you know that I’m keeping my eye out for you. Let me know if I can help you with anything.” It’s simple.
The other two Scriptures both come from 1 Thessalonians and talk of the return of the Lord: “Therefore encourage one another with these words.” … “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing” (1 Thess. 4:18, 5:11). What Paul is doing here is giving comfort and confidence to the church in Thessalonica who think that they may have missed the boat going to Heaven. Paul encourages them with the words that they hadn’t missed the boat, and that the Lord’s return was eminent.
The Bible makes it clear that words are important, and the words we are to use must have meaning behind them. When we think of what the Bible says about encouraging one another, whether through these passages or others, the idea of encouragement is spread throughout all of Scripture. God is encouraging us to draw close to Him.
What Is A Clear Model of Encouraging One Another?
When I think of a clear model for encouragement, I think of Jesus’ words to His disciples in John 14 before He was arrested,
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14:1-3).
When we have a clear example to follow after, we are more likely to follow the commands given in Scripture. Although we are not Jesus, and we are not ascending to the Father (at least not yet), we can see the example Jesus gives. He gives comfort and confidence to His disciples by His words.
Why Is Encouraging One Another Important for Impacting the Culture of Your Church?
Let’s face it, we live in a negative society that is always highlighting the bad stuff that is happening. What we need in the church is to communicate a view that God is still in control no matter what’s going on. Encouraging one another promotes the mindset to focus on the good of God and not on the bad of the world. It doesn’t negate the bad, it merely adverts the attention from it to what is good.
Another impact is letting one another know that they are not alone and are capable of the task set before them. This simple act can be the difference between good fruit and bad fruit in the body.
“For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:43-45).
Conclusion
Just as you are able to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you’re able to spread encouragement to everyone in the local body. Remember, Encouraging one another is to inspire with confidence and give hope or courage to develop bonds that can withstand more than one can on their own. Seek out a few people within your local body to focus on sharing some encouragement within the near future. Identify a couple key areas to work on to develop the bonds that can withstand life’s mishaps.
Encourage someone to look forward to and long for the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Allelon Principle 