Encouragement?

"Edify stupid!! Edify!" When I was in college at North Greenville (at that time it was a College) University, I had a group of friends with whom we used to jokingly use the above statement.  The word "Edify" means to uplift, enlighten, and inform.  For those of you that know me, you can already sense the sarcasm in the phrase.  However, our aim was at, "Church People" and how "Church People" were almost always the first people to kick a brother while he was down!  For the record, there is a huge difference between "Church People" and "Christians" (or as my Pastor Dean Herman calls it, Radical Followers of Christ) which has been explained in previous blogs.

When Paul wrote the first letter to the Church of Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians), we see Paul's heart and passion for encouraging others.  The Church of Thessalonica, was a very young Church and was experiencing sever persecution, confusion about Jesus' return, and many people returning to an evil way of life.  To put it in today's terms, they were victim of politics, rumors, and peer pressure.  The difference between now and then is that Paul chose to encourage and uplift, "Edify", his young brothers and sisters in Christ instead of brow beating them from the pulpit of another Church.  In 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Paul writes, "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 doing it. (The Message Translation)" 

Many times I find myself wanting to smack somebody in the back of the head and ask, "Do you know how to use your head from more than a helmet rest?!"  But the reality is, if we truely want to reach our community for Christ, we must learn to love like Christ!  And one of the ways Christ loved, was through encouragement.  We must, no I must, learn to encourage others if I am to reach my community!  My challenge to you is that you will make a special effort to encourage somebody today!