Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. – 1 Thessalonians 5:11
One of the results you get from connecting with someone or a group is support. This action is a natural flow on from making contact and letting other people into your life. Support is something we all need but how do we go about giving and receiving it?
When you receive support from someone you are getting whatever it is you need at that point in time. The right word, gift or hug can mean the world and help ease the stress or pain of what you are going through. It lessens your burden and makes you feel better when you realise you are not alone.
However, support is a two-way street. If you continue to receive support but give none in return, it makes you seem selfish and self-centred. Support is an act of giving and as the old saying goes, it is better to give than to receive.
As Christians, we should be ready to give support at a moment’s notice. That word you have for your friend or the help your neighbour needs is all part of showing the love that Jesus gives to us. The lost need support and help just as much as our fellow Christians do and it is our job to do it because who else will?
When you support someone, you pick them up off the ground and raise them to a higher level. It shows that you care, and you want to help. You’re not just some bystander ignoring what your friend or neighbours are going through. At the very least you should let them know that you’re around if they need you. You must be willing to listen to others and not focus on yourself.
Sometimes the support you give may offend the person you are trying to help. If this happens, then you need to learn to step back and silently wait for a time when and if it is okay to approach them again. The most important thing you can do is pray about the situation.
Prayer is one of the most important support tools we have. If we can’t physically help them, then we can help them spiritually. In fact, even if you can help them in a physical way, you should still pray. God will give you the guidance and the words, if necessary, to help others deal with the problems they are going through.
Support is something that we need not just in the times of trouble. Stepping out in faith takes a lot of courage and we need the assurance our friends and family can give us. Our encouraging words may be just the thing they need to take that step. Even if what they are stepping out into fails or is not meant to be, then we need to be there to let them know that everything is going to be all right.
God is our ultimate example of support. He is there to build us up, to encourage us and He will be always there when we need Him. We need to keep giving support when we can and always make sure that we are available to help others.
Originally published March 2019