Encourage
Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing. I Thessalonians 5:11
It is hard to be faithful, to keep up our hope in the face of disappointment and fear and pain. We need to serve one another, sharing the load, helping to uphold faith.
Every problem seems heavier, every challenge more daunting, when we feel that we face the world alone. The encouragement of family and friends is one of the richest treasures of the life of faith. How do you encourage people in distress?
- Tell them that you will pray for them; then do it.
- When someone has revealed deep pain to you, give him/her a hug. We all need the touch of other people.
- Open the door for someone to speak to you by asking questions.
- Use all the skills you would use to build any friendship.
- Listen. Listen. Listen.
What do you do when you know that someone is in pain or has problems in daily life? Share the ways you encourage your Christian friends in the faith.