We Build Up One Another

“¹¹Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (ESV)

It is pretty clear in this verse that we are to be encouraging to one another, be there for one another, and truly work to build one another up. And just who is it that we are to build up, one another in Christ. Fellow Christians. Paul is writing to the church at Thessalonica, and that is what I was thinking about this morning as I was reading and studying. I even have written in the margin of my bible to that point (Fellow Christians encourage one another).

“¹Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:1 (ESV)

Being an encouragement and builder of all around us is certainly the Christ-like approach we are to have as we progress in this world. Yet, who was Paul writing to and encouraging in this letter, the church. The first verse in this passage is clear who this instruction is for, “brothers” in Christ. Yes, Paul is writing to encourage fellow Christians and to remind us that we are to encourage and build up our brothers in Christ as He is doing in his letter.

I know what might be thought, aren’t we supposed to be encouraging to all, and the answer is yes. We are to build others up and work to ensure that they have the opportunity to accept the gospel and salvation given freely by Christ. But, we are to specifically work to build up and encourage our fellow Christians more. We are in fellowship with our brothers more often than we are with those outside the church and as such we should be deliberate in building them up more.

Doing the work of Christ is hard enough in this secular world. We know how hard it is for ourselves and that carries over to our brothers in Christ as well. I have to ensure that I am supporting my brothers. Thinking of sports teammates. During the game and/or practice and/or daily, we interact with and work to build one another up. This does not mean that we are not encouraging for the players on the other team to have individual success, but we build up our teammates more often and that encouragement is sustained over time. Our encouragement for fellow Christians is the same.

We are meant to encourage and build others up. It is the Christ-like approach we are to demonstrate daily. And there is more better place to show it than with our fellow Christians who are in need of it in this world. We know that we will be persecuted in our faith and as such can use all the encouragement that we are on the right path and will make it through. Remember the following that Jesus said, Christ is with us when we are together, and so we should be together always.

“¹⁹Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. ²⁰For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” – Matthew 18:19-20 (ESV)

Who are you building up? Are you focusing your attention on those who are simply your acquaintances? What if you devoted your time to your brothers in Christ and the two of you encouraged one another and then others together, with Christ?