Shalom and thank you for joining us for a time where we delve into God’s word for our morning meditation. We are looking at encouragement and what the bible talks about encouragement. We saw and reflected that encouragement is vital to our spiritual growth and we are instructed to encourage one another. In today’s devotion, we see that encouragement is a gift and Paul specifies that in Romans chapter 12, verses 6 to 8, it reads, ‘ Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.’ We read through these verses that Paul described encouragement as a gift. In the body of Christ, God has given each one of us different graces. He has given us the ability to do certain things well and one of the graces or the gifts that we see is the gift of encouragement. The capacity to edify or uplift someone else is called as the gift of encouragement. So, this person or the encourager takes delight in applying scriptures to a certain circumstance and helping the person to walk a walk of faith. To encourage doesn’t just mean to uplift but it means to embolden, to fortify and to inspire especially in times of doubt or in times of sorrow, a word or an act of encouragement can be such a show of hope and help the person move back to the truth of who God is. Paul in the verse we saw urges the believers to exercise them earnestly. So, if one’s gift is to encourage, then we must encourage wholeheartedly. It is on being sincere and authentic and being passionate about living the gifting that God has put in our lives. When we read through the bible, one of the most recognizable figures associated with encouragement is found in the New Testament and he is Barnabas and his name means son of encouragement, we read this in Acts chapter 4. Barnabas as the scripture talks about was specifically equipped by the Holy Spirit to offer encouragement and that is what made it a distinct ministry in the early church at that time. Acts chapter 11, verse 24 describes him as a good man, as a man who was filled with the Holy Spirit, who was strong in faith and a person who bought many others to the Lord. We see that he played an important role in supporting and encouraging all in his initial ministry. When Paul who was Saul at that time, came into Jerusalem and tried to meet the disciples, everyone was scared and wary of him but it was Barnabas who told them how the Lord had been using Saul in Damascus. Barnabas also had told them about how he boldly preached the word of God. So, many Christians were understandable wary of him but Barnabas helped and encouraged the disciples to walk alongside with Paul. So, as we read in this story, we see that we could be called as encouragers. If we are, we identify this as a gift, let us use it to encourage and edify others. Let’s pray together, Heavenly Father, we thank you for these graces and gifting that you have given us. You desire that we use these gifts for the edification of your body and for the building up of other believers. Teach us Lord, to use this so that as a body we are encouraged in our journey, we ask this in Jesus’s name, Amen.

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