Encourage One Another and Build Each Other Up – 1 Thessalonians 5:11

When it comes to promoting peace and unity, there are two types of people – those who drain other people with their requests, discouragements, lofty expectations, or complaints and those who energize others with their encouraging words, joy, peace, friendship, and passion for Jesus. 

It is easy to identify the drainers in our lives. These people are the one who are constantly asking us for something but never pour into us. They ask for help, suggestions, ideas, and present problems for you to fix but they fail to do the same for you. When you see a drainer walking down the hallway you feel like a wet blanket has been thrown on your joy. You know they want to talk with you but you hope that they don’t see you! They are drainers. 

Energizers are the exact opposite of drainers. These are the people that will fill you with joy and peace. They genuinely care about you, ask how you are doing, chip in to give you a hand when you are in need, and will listen without trying to formulate an answer. A smile comes to your face when you see these people in the hallway and you make it a point to see them! They are energizers. 

1 Thessalonians 5:11 tells us to “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.” I love this phrase, “as you are already doing.” The church in Thessalonica encouraged one another, at least during this season of ministry, and made it a point to build one another up. Can you say the same about your church or small group? Are we known for being encouraging?

I’ve never had someone tell me that they were too encouraged. Could you imagine someone calling a meeting with a friend to say, “I appreciate all of the kind things you say about me, but you are being too encouraging. You need to tone it down!” The truth is that we all need to be encouraged more. Life is difficult and confusing. We need people who are following Jesus to help us follow Jesus. Sometimes people fail to take a step of faith because they haven’t been encouraged by other Jesus followers. 

I’m sure it is easy to think of a few drainers and encouragers in your life. Think for a minute about your friendships – are you a person who is draining others or are you energizing others? Are you a drainer or an energizer? 

Live It: 

• Are you spreading words of encouragement or discouragement? 
• Do you spread peace or do you spread descension? 

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