Bible Reading: Ephesians 6:10
On that first Christmas, God gave us the gift of His Son, Jesus, and eternal life through faith in Jesus. This gift is the gift that keeps giving. We’ve been comparing this
ongoing giving to aftershocks of an earthquake.
In our last devotion, we talked about the importance of group worship, one of the “aftershocks” of beginning a relationship with Jesus. We said that gathering together to worship God gave us opportunities to encourage one another. These opportunities to help keep each other strong and avoid discouragement are some of the ongoing aftershocks that result from receiving the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus.
Discouragement can strike any of us at any moment. However, by claiming the power of Christ and investing in the lives of our Christian brothers and sisters, we can obey Paul’s instructions and remain strong in our faith and help others to remain strong, too. Here is what Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:10, “…be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” Paul knew that as long as we remain united with God and with each other we can remain strong in our faith and fight off discouragement.
We can’t beat discouragement on our own. We need each other. We need time in God’s word, time in worship, and time spend encouraging each other. Don’t cheat yourself by skimping on your time with other believers. Your strength and ability to beat discouragement depend on it!
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Prayer: Heavenly Father, keep me faithful in helping to encourage and strengthen my brothers and sisters in their faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.