Encouraged By Each Other’s Faith

For I long to see you that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.

For the gospel reveals the righteousness of God that comes by faith from start to finish, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” Romans 1:11-12, 17 (BSB)

Last night or should I say this morning, I had a very vivid three part dream that I immediately wrote down before it vanished from my consciousness. In part two of this dream, someone questioned me about my level of faith. In the dream, I was taken aback by the directness, but realized this morning that it tied to a devotional title I had written in the back of my Bible with these scriptural references to write about when led.

And without a shadow of a doubt, this morning, I felt led. I recognize how the world can potentially dampen our faith in what God is doing in our life. Life is hard, complicated, questionable, mysterious, burdensome, and sometimes very turbulent. But life in Christ provides us with the fruits of the Holy Spirit, to provide proper context for daily living. If you need a reminder, these fruits are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. (Gal 5:22, BSB).

In reading Romans, 1, I reflected on Paul’s letter to this church in Rome and his desire to join with them to not only encourage them but to be encouraged by their faith. I think this is so important, especially today. God gives us others in the faith to help us stay encouraged and on track spiritually. But how many times do we try to isolate and self-manage? And how does that normally work out?

We were all given specific spiritual gifts to edify each other. Whether its wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, or being able to prophecy; they all come from the Holy Spirit (See 1 Cor 12:7-11 for the complete list). And these are given to us to assist each other, to keep each other accountable, and to help each other through life’s twists and turns.

I pray that in your time with God, He reveals to you your specific spiritual gift(s), that you embrace it/them, that you try not to isolate yourself, and that you use it to encourage your sphere of influence. There are eternal consequences and rewards that we may forget about day to day, but with the right individuals in our life, that focus will become our mainstay.

Stay Encouraged.

Seek Him. Obey the Call. Complete Your Assignment