ENCOURAGEMENT

ENCOURAGEMENT

Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement) —Acts 4:36

How can one truly be an encouragement to someone else? How can they bring comfort to someone who is in need of comforting? It can only be done if the one seeking to encourage or comfort someone else has been encouraged or comforted themselves. This sincere comfort and encouragement can only come from God.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort” (II Corinthians 1:3-7).

We can only truly bring encouragement and comfort to someone else only if we have truly experience encouragement and comfort ourselves. And that comfort comes from the Lord God Almighty. God’s Holy Spirit is called “The Comforter” (John 14:16; 15:26). When He is controlling our life, then we will be receiving the encouragement and comfort that only He can give. It is only then we will be able to encourage and comfort others.

But, if God’s Holy Spirit is being quenched or grieved by our sin then we will not be able to be a godly encouragement and comfort to others. Oh, may all known sin be confessed to God and may we live clean before Him so He can work through us to bring encouragement and comfort to others. May it be so! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ns-hhnqDs8

Dear Father, may I live a pure and holy life that I could be a vessel ready for Your use. May this be so in the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Jesus.