Listen

God didn’t intend for us to suffer his wrath but rather to possess salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with him. So continue encouraging each other and building each other up, just like you are doing already.

1 Thessalonians 5:9-11

Think

Verse 11 of today’s passage says: “Continue encouraging each other and building each other up, just like you are doing already.” The Thessalonians are doing a good job of encouraging each other, it sounds like!

If Paul were writing to the people in your church, would he be able to offer the same compliment? How do you intentionally encourage and build up other people with whom you interact? How might your “people” (your team/club/school/community/youth group) do better at encouraging each other?

Make a list of 5 people that you can encourage today and what you might say. And as you go about your day — do it! At the end of the day today, consider how the experiment in encouragement went.

Becky Ullom Naugle

Pray

Encouraging God, help me encourage and build up others on behalf of Christ. Replace the temptation to criticize with a desire to offer compassion and hopefulness. Amen.

Go

Go into your day with confidence, knowing that God has promised to be with you always, even if God’s sense of timing is different from yours.

Remember God’s love for you; remember your love of God.

You cannot go where God is not!