“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.”
Romans 1:11-12
Paul’s heart desire was to visit the church in Rome. Even as he penned his letter to them from Corinth (where he was wrapping up his third missionary journey), his travel plans included a circuitous route back to Jerusalem first. Perhaps the delay prompted the letter—and thousands of years later, we are all grateful!
In the opening verses, Paul shares his longing for the visit with them: mutual encouragement.
A special friend or family member may come to mind when you and I ask ourselves, “Who encourages me?” or “Who do I encourage?” Someone with whom we have a relationship, a history. Someone who knows us.
Paul did not know the people in Rome; most (if not all) he had never met. But in Christ, they were his brothers and sisters. The bond in Christ was the basis for encouragement. He longed to see them in person to not only pour into them, but to receive from them. This means for us, then, that every brother and sister in Christ can also encourage us.
Do you and I look for the good in every person in our spiritual family? Do we see each person with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as one who has a spiritual gift, life experience, wisdom, knowledge from Scripture, or something else that can spur us on?
We need one another.
Living in these pandemic times has required physical distancing (or, at a minimum, physical limitations) for many of us to be safe. But we need not succumb to social distancing. We can be at home, but still connected to the body of Christ socially and certainly spiritually.
We need one another.
Mutual encouragement means we both release and receive encouragement. There is a sweet, beautiful rhythm that comes from members of the body of Christ investing in one another. God created us to need, depend upon, and encourage each other.
The writer of Ecclesiastes taught us that “two are better than one” and Paul confirms this truth in the passage above. The love we show one another may manifest itself as affirmation, a gentle rebuke, wisdom, or just spurring each other to “keep on keeping on.”
The deeper and stronger the relationship, the greater the potential for mutual encouragement. While connections are made church-wide, more personal and intimate relationships challenge, convict, and propel us forward.
Mutual encouragement is cultivated in the soil of trust and security. But it takes time to grow these kinds of relationships. Growth comes when the relationship is well-watered with honor, respect, and a teachable spirit. The fruit of those carefully-tended relationships is mutual encouragement—leading to spiritual maturity.
It takes time.
We don’t plant a seed today, expecting to harvest a pumpkin tomorrow. Likewise, the blessing of faith-based mutual encouragement also takes time to mature.
This mutual-encouragement/faith-nurturing relationship is optimized when both parties are committed to the end goals of maturing in Christ, bringing glory to God, and living a Spirit-filled life.
Time spent with an encouragement partner fills us up. We leave these encounters renewed, invigorated, equipped, and committed to God and His Word. We leave those conversations ever more determined to live an active faith.
When we choose to invest in the life of a fellow believer, we find that the blessings roll back to us … we leave our coffee meeting or lunch date—or, in these challenging times, the Zoom meeting, phone call, or Facetime connection—filled up and ready to pour out. God is faithful to speak to us through fellow believers who share our love for Him and are indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
Do you have a mutual encourager in your life? Is there an accountability partner that you meet with regularly to discuss your journey of faith? Taking just one hour each week (or every other week) can be a life-changing investment of time. In this one hour, you can share what God is teaching you (which holds you accountable to abide in the Word of God), share your successes and challenges in living out your faith, and wrap up by sharing your personal and even confidential prayer requests.
This can be formal or informal. Just call a friend regularly to check in. Ask what God is teaching her. Ask how you can pray for her. Allow the relationship to unfold and grow to a new and deeper level.
Or make it more formal. Ask her to set up a time to meet; right now, that may mean virtual or physically-distanced time together. Commit to share a passage you have been studying, how God is convicting/teaching you, and how you can pray for one another. Two ideas for resources:
- The monthly Write the WORD bookmark. You can each download your own copy, get a journal, and begin the daily practice of writing the Word and journaling some thoughts. This video gives ideas on how this can work:
- Study Romans with us this year! Read the passage, listen to the Friday teaching lecture on Cross My Heart Ministry’s YouTube channel, and then discuss what you learned. (If you want to go deeper, get the study guide from JoyofLiving.org, work through the daily questions on your own, and then discuss the answers when you meet.)
Whether it is formal or informal, daily or weekly, I invite (and encourage!) you to pray that the desire of your heart would be the same as Paul’s: mutual encouragement in the body of Christ.
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