Encourage One Another

Romans 1:12

In verse eleven, we read about the gift that Paul wanted to bring the Romans. He wanted to bring the Romans himself. We saw that this was not because Paul thought he was anything special but because he understood the value of fellowship.

Today we turn to verse twelve which focuses more on the importance of fellowship. Verse twelve says, “that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.” Paul now looks at it from the opposite point of view. He is not only the one who can encourage and establish the Romans, but he also realizes that he also needs and desires to be encouraged and established himself.

My pastor has told the congregation that there are times when he will visit the sick and dying in the hospital with the aim to encourage them and will end up leaving encouraged himself. You have probably experienced something similar. You go to your friend who is hurting or has had a rough day, and you leave encouraged by something they said or did. This is what Paul is talking about.

There is nothing that can match the bond every believer ought to have with one another. I am not saying that we all ought to be best friends, that would be overwhelming and unreasonable, but we should all love one another and desire to see each other walk worthy of Him. This is ultimately what brings glory to God and encouragement and strength to your fellow brothers and sisters.

We all also have the same enemy. The same one who tries to discourage us and tear us down. We live in the same world that tries to distract us and make us feel foolish and archaic. We deal with the same sinful flesh that wants to feed itself and take the easy way out instead of obeying Him. This similar fight is why we ought to be seeking fellowship with one another.

Do we see believers encouraging one another today? Is there unity, or a special bond that there ought to be? Or are we quick to judge one another because we want to look like a better Christian? Are we quick to spread or keenly listen to gossip that tears at the character of a fellow believer? Do we pretend to be sad about the failures of another while secretly, arrogantly concluding that we would never make such a horrible mistake? I fear that instead of being believers who seek to encourage we are believers who seek to stand above our fellow believers who have stumbled, shaking our heads with masked sorrow and a grinning heart.

I believe that this is a tactic of the devil to get into the church and tear it apart from the inside. We must not let him. We need to encourage and be encouraged by one another. We need to be there when one has stumbled, lifting them up and encouraging them to get back on the right path. This is what God desires from His children. No earthly father wants to see his kids tearing one another down much less our heavenly, perfect Father.

I want to encourage you to seek to encourage and be encouraged by one another. Look to lift the spirits of the hurting. Chances are your spirits will be lifted even higher. Seek unity within the church and amongst fellow believers. Don’t fall into the devil’s trap of gossip. He is the one who wants us to whisper and murmur against one another, not God. Be the loving, caring, encouraging, gracious brother or sister that God wants you to be.

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