Today’s reading: Acts 28:11-16; 1 Thessalonians 5:11
No matter who we are or what position we hold (stay at home mom, student, corporate executive, farmer, pastor, physician, factory worker, teacher, and the list goes on), we all need to be encouraged. I can tell you from my own experience that encouragement, whether that be through supportive and affirming words and/or interacting and spending time with friends and like-minded people, impacts me greatly. Receiving encouragement (which can come in many forms) stimulates my creativity and thinking, fans the flame of my enthusiasm and motivates me to do more in all areas. Which brings me back to where I started today–we all need to be encouraged.
Even the apostle Paul, a powerful and steadfast servant of God, needed encouragement. It’s not until Acts 28:11 that Paul finally reaches Rome. It’s been a long and arduous journey, and throughout it all, Paul has been an incredible encourager of others. He had to be a little weary. So when I read Acts 28:15, I smiled and knowingly nodded my head as I identified with Paul.
“And the brothers there, when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us. On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage” (vs. 15).
How does being encouraged impact your thinking, attitude and actions? In 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Paul instructs us to “encourage one another and build one another up.” Why is this instruction so vital, especially between brothers and sisters in Christ? Tami
Source: Tami’s Blog
