Typing this intro and the blog has gone a completely new direction in the last 15 minutes. I met with an amazing new friend this week and on our walk she shared with me the encouragement to live life with open hands and to ask God what girls needed to hear on the other side of the screen. To put down the agenda and just hear from what God wants to share through me. Sooooo I started out with a blog topic for the week, kind of had a moment of ADD in writing where I just couldn’t focus. I tried to work on the original topic and God was like nope sister, that ain’t it. In the midst of my lull I came across this verse below, 1Thessalonians 5:11. God revealed the power in it and here we are now as I share it with you. A powerful reminder that we need daily as we put in the work to love others well, ENJOY!!!
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as you are doing”
1 Thessalonians 5:11
When writing this blog I had a completely different verse picked out about speaking words of life over people. When I came across this verse, I was reading and thought about how well it communicated the power of building other people up. This verse basically gives us 3 encouragements: Encourage one another. Build each other up. If you are doing these things, then keep it up. So simply written but one of the hardest things to do.
When your classmate scores the better grade we want to tear them down instead of lift them up. When your friend lands the dream job and you are still waiting for a response, bitterness begins to swell. When you have been patient in your singleness and now of course another girl gets engaged, discontentment creeps in. We let these minor incidents take over our actions and keep us from the major mission: encourage one another and build each other up.
So how do we fight the desire to tear down when we are called to build up? How do we put this verse into action?
- If you think something nice, say it
- If someone lands on your heart, its for a reason
- If the girl next to you has a win, cheer with her
Life can have a theme of competition where we begin to think that if they win, we lose. The enemy uses that as a place to slip in and create disunity. There is power in encouragement. There is power in building. 1 Peter 2:6 shares that we are being built and the finished project is a spiritual house. A house that holds the Holy Spirit. The power in that is even on the days we don’t feel like it, God gives us the strength to love our friends like sisters. I heard someone says once “If it’s a win for the Kingdom and its a win for you then its a win for me” When we live our life that way then we are living in a way that encourages and builds up.
How can we live out encouraging people and building people up?
3 practical ways: send a message, extend an invite, set the date
1.Sending a message
looks like texting a friend that’s on your heart and saying “Hey girl, thinking about you this morning, hope you have the best day!” And before the enemy tries to make you feel small… no they will not think you are weird, because everyone desires to feel known. If you think something nice then say it and let the people know, because Jesus builds us up everyday. So send the text. A text like that will make someone’s day and make them feel so seen by Jesus, all because you chose to send a little message of love to them.
2.Extend an invite
I go on coffee dates all the time with people who crave community and they just don’t know who to ask or how to get it. If you meet a new friend at church or in lululemon invite them to hang out. Its never too late to gain new friends. A desperate friend could be on the other side of your invite. Jesus went out to meet people, he invited them into a relationship and you never know what new bestie you could gain from a simple invitation.
3.Set the date
Set the date, what do you mean? Go to coffee, pick a lunch date, make a new real friend! Life happens in relationships and the other two steps are awesome but why not make it legit by building up in person. Last year and this one, I have challenged myself to go on a coffee date with one new person a year, the new besties i have from this!!! Unreal!! When we fellowship with other people we get to experience life in a new way because eating + a new friend = JOY So maybe there is a new restaurant or coffee shop you have been wanting to try out, try it out with someone new. You will get to encourage a friend, they will probably be more of an encouragement to you, and you will experience Jesus
I inspire you to get in the room with a new friend this week by building up and encouraging one another, just as you are doing
Xoxo Scarlet