“Please open your hearts to us. We have not done wrong to anyone, nor led anyone astray, nor taken advantage of anyone. I’m not saying this to condemn you. I said before that you are in our hearts, and we live or die together with you. I have the highest confidence in you, and I take great pride in you. You have greatly encouraged me and made me happy despite all our troubles.”
2 Corinthians 7:2-4 NLT
We all need encouragement, don’t we? Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth with a heartfelt appeal to try to restore his relationship with them. He told them that he had “not done wrong to anyone” or “led anyone astray”. He said, no one had been taken advantage of either. And he encouraged his readers by emphasising his commitment to them, expressing pride and confidence. And then Paul said, “You have greatly encouraged me and made me happy”. Surely we think, when we read this ourselves, the Corinthians could never have rejected Paul. And neither could we, knowing what we know about Paul and his ministry. Paul was a full-on type of person, intense and driven, and he was very conscious that his time on earth was relatively short and he had many people to reach with the Gospel. From that, I would think he wasn’t a warm, fuzzy sort of person and probably alienated people along his journey through life. But when we read his letters, a different person emerges. He tried to balance the urgency he felt in establishing churches with his words of encouragement and discipleship in his letters. I’m sure he didn’t get things right all the time because he was human, just like us, but overall, he was motivated following his encounter with Jesus, and knew he had to spread the Gospel wherever and whenever he could.
But encourage one another daily
We pilgrims, too, are on a journey through life. It may be 2000 years later, but the issues are still the same because human beings haven’t changed. Sin is still present. Faith and holiness are still qualities we aspire to. And encouragement is needed as we meet with our friends, families and in our communities. We need to be encouraged, and we need to encourage others. Encouragement is not just a one-off event, though. Hebrews 3:13, “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today’, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness”. Who are the “one anothers”? As I wrote before, these are people in our families and communities who need a kind word or something else to lift their spirits in times of difficulty. But they also include those in our churches. People who come every week, possibly carrying burdens that we can’t see. People who, when asked how they are, reply “fine” when there are fires of anxiety and stress churning within them, and the same people leave at the end of the service feeling much the same.
Christians everywhere need encouragement, primarily because it is necessary to our walk of faith. Jesus warned His disciples, and us as well by implication, that this world is a hostile place for Christians to live in. He said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). In the previous chapter, He said, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you” (John 15:18-19). But Jesus encouraged us because He is greater than any trouble we face.
We all struggle if we do not receive any encouragement, but it is important to remember that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against . . . the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). This truth makes encouragement all the more important. It is not just that we face the world’s displeasure; we are caught in the crosshairs of a spiritual battle. When we are encouraged in Christ, we have the strength to put on our spiritual armour and remain steadfast. Without encouragement, life would soon feel pointless and burdensome. Without encouragement, we can be overwhelmed by the very real pains of our lives. Without encouragement, we feel unloved. Without encouragement, we begin to think that God is a liar or is unconcerned with our welfare. So, the Bible tells us to encourage one another, to remind each other of the truth that God loves us, that God equips us, that we are treasured, and that our struggles are worth it.
Encouragement from the Bible gives us the will to carry on. It is a glimpse of the bigger picture. It can prevent burnout. It can save us from believing lies (“sin’s deceitfulness”). Encouragement helps us experience an abundant life. Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).
So, do we pilgrims need to encourage anyone today? Perhaps someone in the workplace, or in the family. Perhaps the next-door neighbour is prone to discouragement and needs a cheery word. Perhaps someone we encounter on the street or in the supermarket just needs a kind word to keep them going. And as for ourselves, we too need encouragement, of course, but if not from anyone around us, we can reach out to our Heavenly Father – He has a shed load just waiting to be poured out on us. Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”. Do we feel God’s peace and love today? Well, it’s there for the asking.
Dear Heavenly Father. Whatever our circumstances, we know that You provide the peace we need to live in this dark world. We thank You for Your encouragement, secure in the knowledge that Jesus died so that we could inherit a better place. Help us today, we pray, to reach out to those around us so that we can share the encouragement we have received from You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 