SERVING THE LORD WITH GLADNESS BY ENCOURAGING OTHERS

SCRIPTURE:
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, 
I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the 
first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work 
in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 
(Philippians 1:3-6)

MEDITATION:
Have you ever had thoughts like, 
“What am I really doing for the cause of Christ?”
It is a question that many believers ask of themselves.
It is a healthy spiritual thought, 
but it can also cause a person to feel useless.
The truth is, 
every believer can contribute to the cause of Christ in some way.

We may not always be in the limelight, 
but we can all help in spreading the Gospel.
In addition, 
we can all find joy in knowing that we are all doing “something”.
God’s ministry team includes reachers, teachers, givers, listeners, 
comforters, advisors, receivers, prayer warriors, and encouragers.
The list doesn’t encompass all areas of service, 
but it does include a very important ‘team member’.

Encouragers for those actively serving the Lord 
can be similar to gasoline for a car.
One seemingly ‘little act’ can provide great strength for others.
A word of encouragement, a pat on the back, a silent prayer, 
and a true friendship can inspire a discouraged servant of the Lord 
to keep on keeping on.
It is a way of convincing them that everything they are doing is right 
and although they may not see immediate results of their efforts, 
encouragement assures them that it is going to be okay.

We see that Paul was extremely grateful 
for the encouragement he received from believers at Philippi. 
He said he “thanks God” every time he thinks of them.
Paul knew that God motivated others to encourage him as he served the Lord.
He reciprocated their support of him, by praying for all of them.

It wasn’t just a prayer for their needs and for God to bless them, 
but it was a joyful prayer.
This indicates just how much Paul appreciated their encouragement 
and how it contributed to his efforts to spread the gospel.
They contributed financially as well, 
but Paul seems to be strengthened more by their encouragement.

He tells them in his letter that he now has confidence 
that the task God had given him would continue to its completion.
What a great boost of confidence the believers in Phillipi gave to Paul!
Their encouragement gave Paul more confidence in God, because he knew
that God was convicting them to provide support and encouragement for him.
Even though he was in prison and everything looked grim for him, 
Paul knew that through others, God was encouraging him 
to continue in his efforts to spread the gospel.

ACTION: 
Maybe you are not serving the Lord in a visible capacity right now.
Maybe you are still trying to figure out how He wants to use you.
In either case, make every effort to serve Him by encouraging 
those whom you know are actively trying to serve Him as best they can.
Your encouragement may be the “spark” someone needs at just the right time.
Like Paul, 
they may feel isolated at times and in great need of encouragement.
Don’t miss your opportunity to encourage.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for those who are actively serving You. I pray 
that You would help me to be an encourager for them so they will not have 
thoughts of giving up. Help me to discover where and how You want me to 
serve You, but in the meantime, help me to serve You by becoming an 
encourager.”