Encouragement

The spiritual gift or discipline of encouragement is one of the more neglected gifts in the current day. We are called to encourage others.

To encourage them in their faith, in their faithfulness to flowing Jesus, and in all matter of importance of life. We are called to up build others around us.

The church is a place for sinners to grow in grace and in mutual up building. We do not have or lives fully together. No one does.

To the degree the church acts as if everyone in it's membership either has their life together or really should have their life together the church fails its membership. The pressure for perfection in the church often doesn't lead to perfection but a hiding of issues.

It is difficulty to grow in a place where people hide their sin. If the church is not a safe place to be honest than the church is not a safe place to have authentic relationships.

And this is the flaw in many churches. In encouraging community the community often is hollow and lacks power. Because community is only of real powerful benefit if authenticity is safe.

We have a God in heaven who is not confused about our state. We he knows our faults and beckons us to him. The question is if the church has learned the nature of God and is willing to have the degree of grace and understanding that God has?