Have you ever given thought to how much we need our brothers and sisters in Christ for encouragement in our faith? I confess that at times, get spiritually depressed by the state of our country’s lukewarm apathy toward Christianity. I allow myself to believe that no one in America is truly living a pure life before God and seeking him wholeheartedly. When this happens, God always finds a way to show me that I’m wrong. There are several believers who are sold out to him. I don’t know about you, but I need hardcore brothers and sisters like these to help me stay encouraged. Paul shares this sentiment in Romans 1:11-12 which says:
“I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong – that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.”
Last month, while speaking at a church as an area representative for Voice of the Martyrs, I met three strong women of faith. Their dedication to prayer and their love for all things Jesus really encouraged me. Just like that, my spirit was rejuvenated and my hope that prayer warriors, sold out Christians, and hardcore believers still exist in our country, was kindled once again. So, I encourage you to build relationships with strong believers in your church, neighborhood or even your school so that both your faith and their faith may be mutually encouraging.
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Similar to Proverbs 27:17 which says, “as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another”, Paul reminds us that we should purpose to be around strong believers so that our faith may be mutually encouraged. Living a Christian life on earth can be difficult; especially if you try to do it alone. In truth, no one is really an island unto themselves. But we can choose who we influence and are influence by. Hopefully, when we are around unbelievers, we are influencing them with the love of Christ in an effort to model his character. But we also need to be recharged by other believers. We need to be encouraged and spiritually encouraging to one another.
