To encourage means to give somebody hope or confidence; to motivate somebody to take a course of action or to continue doing something.  (Encarta Dictionary)  When it comes to our walk with Christ, we as a church need to be a source of encouragement.  We need to instill hope and confidence as we seek to grow in Christ an walk daily with Him.  There are many avenues this encouragement can take.  It might be a visit or call simply to show your care.  It could be just in showing up for class or worship to encourage those who lead.  It could be a simple act of kindness to take a bit of the load off of someone’s plate.  It is thinking and doing as Christ would think and do.  The question we ought to ask daily is, “How can I show the love of Christ?”  When we go about our day and people cross our paths, showing the love of Christ, and encouraging others into a deeper walk with Him should be uppermost in our mind.  By setting our focus early in the day, we can ask God for direction and wisdom to be a source of encouragement to others.

Verse of the Week:

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: Be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

_{Isaiah 41:10}