Encourage One Another

Have you ever received a supportive text on the morning of a big test, job interview, or presentation? Maybe it was your mom saying she’s praying for you, or your friend saying “You got this!” and sharing a Bible verse reminding you of God’s power and his love for you. Or have you ever picked up coffee for a friend you knew was having a bad day? Whether you’re on the giving or receiving end of these small acts or simple words, you know the joy and comfort they give can be so much bigger than the gestures themselves.

That’s because while the act may be small the message is huge: Someone remembers that hard thing you’re going through. Someone wants to encourage your faith. And ultimately, simply but powerfully, it means someone is thinking about you. You’re not alone.

Encourage Hearts

God has given us all kinds of resources with which to encourage friends, family, and even strangers. We can offer a moment of prayer, give compliments or small gifts, share verses, send heartfelt letters, and more. This is more than just something that’s nice to do—God calls us as Christians to be encouragers and supporters of each other. See what Paul wrote to the Thessalonians:

“Encourage the hearts of your fellow believers and support one another, just as you have already been doing.”

1 Thessalonians 5:11 TPT

And this isn’t the only verse in 1 Thessalonians about encouragement. In fact, it came on top of a previous call to uplift fellow believers—this one specifically urging us to encourage using the truth about Jesus and the hope he gives:

“For the Lord himself will appear with the declaration of victory, the shout of an archangel, and the trumpet blast of God . . . .and we will be forever with the Lord. So encourage one another with these truths.”

1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17–18 TPT

Our loving Savior and his sacrifice for us provide so much good news to rejoice over. May it never get old! From cover to cover, the Bible is packed with great comforts, worship-inspiring truths about the God we love, and wonderful eternal rewards to strengthen our hope. We should be reminding each other of these joys of our salvation daily. What wonderful truth has God shared with you lately that you can share with someone else?

A Life-giving Word

It’s no news to say that anxiety, depression, and fear have a unique foothold on hearts and minds in our time. Social media is tied to heightened depression and isolation, while increasingly polarized media drives fear and anxiety.

But Christians have hope to share. We have access to words of joy, peace, and life that bring light to any dark and hope to any time. Clearly, lifting people up with encouraging words remains as important today as it has ever been.

“Anxious fear brings depression, but a life-giving word of encouragement can do wonders to restore joy to the heart.”

Proverbs 12:25 TPT

Now as ever, we need to reach out to friends to let them know they’re loved and never alone. We need to thank our pastors and leaders and encourage them in the work they’re doing for us and our communities.

“This is not the time to pull away and neglect meeting together, as some have formed the habit of doing. In fact, we should come together even more frequently, eager to encourage and urge each other onward as we anticipate that day dawning.”

Hebrews 10:25 TPT

We need community, especially the rich community of fellow believers. And that community can be fostered with just the simple act of mailing a card.

“A Fullness of Joy”

Receiving snail mail with Scripture can be a particularly special gift of encouragement. It takes intentionality to write a letter or card, address it, and mail it these days. These actions are often outside our normal habits, and yet the physical encouragement is worth the effort, showing extra thoughtfulness and care.

Someone who recently received some of our Gracefully Yours cards described the unique emphasis a physical card lends to its message. Heather had celebrated a milestone birthday, and she loved the verse from Hebrews 13:25 on one of her birthday cards: “May God’s wonderful grace be poured out upon you.” She shared with us, “I had never heard the Bible so clearly.” Digital messages bombard us through our devices daily, inviting us to skim and perhaps like or react and then swipe away to the next article and photo and text. But as Heather experienced, a physical message from a friend makes you pause, read closely, and perhaps see familiar verses in an entirely new light.

Another card Heather received featured a portion of Ephesians 1:18. “Just reading this,” Heather said, “made me feel encouraged and ready to celebrate another year.”

“I pray that the light of God will illuminate the eyes of your imagination, flooding you with light, until you experience the full revelation of the hope of his calling.”

Ephesians 1:18 TPT

“To be frank, I have never read Scripture with as much eagerness. Maybe I’m just a child at heart or this version of the Bible touched a certain nerve. All I know is that these words give me a fullness of joy.”

Share the full love and joy of God with those in your life. Who can you reach out to today?

“Now may God, the fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in him. And may the power of the Holy Spirit continually surround your life with his super-abundance until you radiate with hope!”

Romans 15:13 TPT