Building One Another

Vol. 11, No. 6    Dear Friend, We live in an age of criticism and complaint, yet encouraging people is so incredibly easy to do. Are you as quick to offer words that build up as quickly as words that tear down? So are you an encourager?  One who builds up others?  Do the people in your life see you that way? The motivation for this weekly letter for some twenty years is this word of the Apostle Paul to the Christians in the town of Thessalonica: “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” I Thessalonians 5:11* Whenever you see a “therefore” in Scripture you should ask, “What is it there for?” In this case the preceding words have everything to do with why we are asked to build up one another. “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.” I Thessalonians 5:9-10 Whether we are awake or asleep, whether alive or dead on this Earth, we are alive to our Lord that we may live with him and for him.  So encouraging one another makes huge sense. Be known as a people builder!  Whether by voice, email, Facebook, and/or texting, offer the words that encourage the hearts of those who are connected to you in some way, “Hang in there, you’ll make it, you are doing a great job, I am praying for you, I am with you.” May you be aware of our loving Lord building you as you build others! With joy- E. Stanley Ott Copyright 2012 E. Stanley Ott *Scripture from the NIV