encouragement in faith
So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you’ll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you’re already doing this; just keep on doing it.”
1 Thessalonians 5:11 MSG
Let’s talk about encouragement. specifically, encouragement in faith.
i’ve found that i get jealous when i see a fellow Christian who seems to have a more perfect relationship with Christ than i do. this is especially prominent when i’m going through a dry season, a time when i feel far away from the Lord.
whether it be them posting a bible verse on instagram, or posting a picture of their bible on their snapchat story, i start to get upset.
why am i not expressing my faith like that?
am i not Christian enough?
am i not sharing my faith enough?
but the truth is, posting pictures like that doesn’t automatically make your faith strong. sometimes i post scripture in the darkest times of my life, just trying to put on a mask so others won’t know how dark my faith life truly is.
don’t get me wrong, posting your favorite scripture can be & is a great thing.
but here’s a reminder: if you’re like me, there’s no need to get jealous of others &/or feel guilty about your expression of faith. we all express our faith in different ways.
instead of jealously, i’ve found that taking the road of encouragement makes me a lot happier. cheering on your fellow Christians in their faith journey can not only bring you closer to God, but also to the person themself.
Paul tells us in this passage of Thessalonians to speak encouraging words to others. He tells us to build people up with our words & thoughts, instead of tear them down with them. we need to work together in our journey of faith, and stick with one another no matter what.
leaving an encouraging comment or saying a quick prayer for the person makes me feel 100x better than jealousy does. i definitely recommend it. i know that i’m going to try to go this route in the future!
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good luck in your faith journeys, friends.
with prayers and love,
katie