We All Need Encouragement

 

Scripture

1 Thessalonians 5:11

 ¹Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.  (NRSV)

Devotion

This past Sunday, folks at my church surprised me with a set of flower arrangement, special Youth Sermon, and gift card in honor of Pastor Appreciation Month.  I almost cried--not because I need gift cards and flowers to be happy (though I was certainly thankful for them) but because in that moment, I felt seen, understood.  I know that I don't always get things right, but I do my very best to care for my congregation and community.  It felt affirming to have my good intentions and the hard work acknowledged by the people I've come to love.  Judging by the number of other pastors who got on Facebook to post pictures of flowers and cards along with the words, "I didn't even know Pastor Appreciation Day is a thing!" I'm pretty sure I wasn't alone in needing that pick-me-up

Sunday was also a reminder of how important it is for all of us to build one another up and let people know just what it is we appreciate about them.  Spreading the Gospel and loving others as Christ loved us is hard work in the best of times--and the past year and a half certainly hasn't been the best of times for anyone.  There are times when the effort it takes to actively love God and others in the ways that Jesus taught us to love leave people feeling frustrated and drained of energy.  We may even believe that we are failures--that no matter what we do or how hard we try, we will always be useless, helpless, and hopeless.   Those kinds of thoughts are exactly what can lead people to give up on proclaiming the Good News.

When we build someone up, we help them see themselves as Jesus sees them: as unique and beloved children of God with special gifts to share.  That vision--so at odds with the way we usually view ourselves--reminds us of our value and encourages us to keep following Christ. Letting people know that we appreciate them also reminds us that we are not in this alone in our work.  Other people have gifts to share, and Christ's body accomplishes the most when all its parts work together.  This reminder makes it okay that no one of us will every be able to do it all on our own or get it all right.  Those working alongside us are meant to fill in some of the areas where our own work wasn't .  When we acknowledge the goodness of others and are acknowledged by them in return, spreading the Gospel becomes a lot less lonely and overwhelming. 

Building someone up in Christ doesn't have to be difficult or elaborate.  It can be as simple as thanking them for something they've done. It can be wrapping up a piece of cake in foil to give to someone after church--or sending a text to let a cake-giver know that it was delicious and just what  the doctor ordered.  One group that I'm in ends each weekly meeting by having people take turns sharing one specific thing they appreciate about the person seated next to them.  The sense of motivation, connection, and care that arises out of this 5 minute activity never ceases to amaze me.

I'd like to end today's post with a challenge of sorts.  Some time in the next 48 hours, take time to let someone know that you appreciate them.  Lift up something specific (even if it is small) and let them know how much that thing means to you.  Your simple act of encouragement will hopefully make someone feel seen and understood just as my church made me feel seen and understood on Sunday.  It may even be just what they need to get them through a hard day.  And as we build one another up one day at a time, we help one another stay on the path that Christ has set before us. 

 

Prayer

Loving Creator,  thank you for the blessing of others.  Help me to build up the people in my life and  give them the encouragement to keep doing your will.  May all your children come to feel seen, understood, and appreciated as the people you made them to be.  Amen.