Ed Jones
There are no hermit Christians in the body of Christ. All believers have the responsibility to encourage one another daily: “Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today,’ so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” (Hebrews 3:12-13)
In the original language, the verb translated “encourage” means “to earnestly support or exhort a response or action.” It comes from the Greek noun paraklésis, which refers to the calling of someone alongside to help or encourage. The word is related to the name Jesus gave to the Holy Spirit—Paraclete, which means “Helper.”
As Christians, we are called to walk beside one another, strengthening each other in the faith and encouraging continued spiritual growth.
Paul prayed for an opportunity to see the believers in Rome, writing, “For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord.” In Acts 11:22-23, the church at Jerusalem sent Barnabas (whose name means “son of encouragement/exhortation”) to inspire and fortify the believers in Antioch.
In Romans 12:3-8, Paul teaches that, as members of Christ’s body, we all belong to and need one another. Out of the abundance of His grace, God gives us different gifts to build one another up. One of these spiritual gifts is exhortation (verse 8). Paul urges the Corinthians to seek to excel in the gifts “that will strengthen the whole church” (1 Corinthians 14:12). If we separate ourselves from the body, we will miss out on these gifts. We leave ourselves vulnerable to temptation and spiritual attack. But when we come alongside one another, we gain strength to overcome the enemy.
Prayer is another way we can exhort one another daily. We can also exhort one another daily by speaking words of life and truth. Our words hold power both to destroy and to restore lives. Paul cautions us to speak only what will build others up: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Ephesians 4:29)
Paul’s protégé Timothy was tasked as a young pastor with the responsibility of encouraging his flock through preaching and teaching of God’s Word, correcting, rebuking, and exhorting “with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2). While pastors have an obligation to exhort the body of Christ, every Christian ought to look out for fellow believers who might be struggling in the faith. We are all called to come alongside one another for mutual encouragement, instruction, comfort, and support in our daily Christian walk.
Ed Jones pastors Fellowship At The Ranch Church at Robson Ranch. This nondenominational church meets at the Robson clubhouse on Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. For information, visit Fellowship’s website www.fellowshipattheranchchurch.com.