This morning I am grateful for the encouragers in my life. “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” (1Thess. 5:11) Encouragement comes in many forms. The one who will listen, the one who hugs, the one who sends a text asking how they can pray for you. I have several encouragers in my life, for which I am immensely grateful; those that I know will reach out just when I need them. I also try to be that encourager.

While there are times that we need to be built up, there are also times that we need those courageous encouragers who will bring up (in love) something that I need to look at in my life. “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” (Prov. 27:17) I am most thankful for those times of encouragement, because those times bring me to God’s Word to see what He says about my situation. What is important is that we bring up things we are led to speak to someone in love, to speak life to them.

We hear many words from people that are rude, discouraging, or deceitful. As members of the body of Christ, we must speak life and encouragement to one another. The assembly of believers every week should be a time of healthy dialog to spur on one another towards fulfilling our purpose in Christ. By our healthy conversations and words of life, we are equipped to counter the lies of the enemy spoken through other people.

Let’s Speak Life (by Tobymac):

So speak life, speak life
To the deadest darkest night
Speak life, speak life
When the sun won’t shine and you don’t know why
Look into the eyes of the broken hearted
Watch them come alive as soon as you speak hope
You speak love, you speak
You speak life