Be Encouraged

CONSIDER THIS

A little boy ran to his dad, saying, “Daddy, Daddy! Let’s play catch. I’ll throw and you say, ‘Wonderful!’”

Encouragement is important. Every person needs to hear a “wonderful” here and there. How much better, though, to encourage each other in the Lord. To remind others of how awesome our God is. He is always with us. He’s the One who will give us the strength and courage to get through anything. We can trust Him always! 

That’s what the apostle Paul did. Traveling through the country, going from place to place, he gave constant encouragement to people, strengthening them with the Word of God. He showed us how to “do” church: gathering together, worshipping together, eating brunch together, celebrating communion together, proclaiming the Good News together, talking about the things of God together, experiencing the power and presence of God together. How can we not help but notice it’s all about doing life together. Be encouraged! It’s what The River is already doing now. 

Let’s be even more intentional of being encouragers. Don’t know what to say? The Bible is smashed full of encouraging words to instill courage and hope and confidence — all because of Jesus. Jesus is our biggest encouragement of all. He endured the pain and shame of the cross, and yet tells us, “I have overcome the world.”