1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage each other and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
I was troubled by a poem I read several months ago. It affected me so much that I decided to share it with you.
Funny how the Holy Spirit can expose areas in life that need attention through a simple poem. Maybe you’re wondering why I’m getting personal. Don’t we usually we try to hide the parts of ourselves that need work? Seriously,
Who wants to look weak? Not me.
Who wants to look flawed? Not me.
But that’s exactly the point. The Lord uses the weak, flawed, sinful things in my life to expose underlying issues. I asked the Lord to root out the things in my life that weren’t pleasing to him and guess what? He said “sure thing!” You see, anytime we ask anything according to his will, he hears us and he gives us what we ask! (1 John 5:14-15)
And so, the poem. The upset. The tears. The recognition of sin and error in my life that brought me to repentance goes like this:
A Builder Or a Wrecker
As I watched them tear a building down
A gang of men in a busy town
With a ho-heave-ho, and a lusty yell
They swung a beam and the side wall fell
I asked the foreman, “Are these men skilled,
And the men you’d hire if you wanted to build?”
He gave a laugh and said, “No, indeed,
Just common labor is all I need.”
“I can easily wreck in a day or two
What builders have taken years to do.”
And I thought to myself, as I went my way
Which of these roles have I tried to play
Am I builder who works with care,
Measuring life by rule and square?
Am I shaping my work to a well-made plan
Patiently doing the best I can
Or am I wrecker who walks to town
Content with the labor of tearing down?
“O Lord let my life and my labors be
That which build for eternity!”
Author: Charles Franklin Benvegar
IMPACT:
Our words have profound impact! They encircle and intertwine themselves into the ears and hearts of our listeners. There is such power in our words that they have the very real ability to either build up or tear down someone else’s life!
Meditate on this:
There is such power in our words that they have
the ability to either build up or tear down
someone else’s LIFE!
The Greek word encourage that Paul uses in our scripture verse today is “parakaleite”. It specifically means to comfort one another by getting up-close personal. To console, strengthen. It is mutual and reciprocal; it goes both ways. It forges a strong bond.
What does that sound like? Relationship!
By using words that build up, you help someone navigate troubled times. Your mutual relationship gives them the strength to stand strong and face their battles. They in turn help you. You prop each other up. And guess what? A wonderful bond is forged, a beautiful friendship created.
PURPOSE
Paul’s words to the Thessalonian church were bold. What you say to each other matters! I know you’re encouraging each other but don’t stop. Keep on, persevere in the work of filling each other with courage every day by the grace of God because even if life is hard, our God is bigger than your present circumstance!
Why does this matter so much? Because
Satan wants us scared.
Satan wants us disconnected & disjointed.
Satan wants us discouraged and defeated.
KEY
Encouragement is the key to building relationship, connection, unity, courage and victory in the Lord.
The memory is still so vivid. I am sitting on a steep slope of a mountain. Blinding sun bouncing off the snow makes it hard to see and my eyes don’t want to focus anymore.
We’ve been making our final ascent for hours. We started off in the middle of the night so we could watch the sun come up from inside a cave and then continue the climb in daylight.
Streaks of light bend as they round the orb of the earth, spilling color over us like we’ve been doused in watercolor paint. I feel so small and insignificant, humbled that I’m allowed to witness something so breathtaking.
But not long after that farther up the slope and now in broad daylight I find myself unable to continue. I can see the top but can’t get there. I’m exhausted and sick. I know I can’t go on. The beauty of the sunrise has faded and the only thing I can think about is how to get off this mountain!
Others are passing me along the narrow snow-packed trail and with the little energy I have left I squeak out a couple of tears and a sob. Why me? Why this? Why here? Why now?
As clear as if he’s beside me I hear my Dad’s voice “Rhonda, keep going. You can do it!” But he isn’t beside me, he’s already at the top of the mountain.
“Just take one step at a time, even if you have to sit down after every step. I’ll wait for you!”
His encouragement gave me the strength to finish the climb, to sit at the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Proverbs 16:24 says “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Your kind words, you’re intentional desire to encourage will impact the lives of others!
“O Lord, let my life and labors be that which build for eternity.”