Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.  1 Thessalonians 5:11

Sometimes Christians struggle to be honest and vulnerable with one another because we fear judgement. If you have ever made a mistake, you know that you need help more than you need criticism. Sometimes we forget that Christians and non-Christians both sin and need God’s of grace.

The Bible has a good deal to say about how to treat others with dignity, even when they sin. First, we should humbly consider others as more important than ourselves (Philippians 2:3). Next, we should think about how to spur each other on toward love and serving others (Hebrews 10:24). We are to admonish the idle, encouraged the fainthearted, help the weak, and be patient with them all (1 Thessalonians 5:14).

How do we develop this habit of encouragement? “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin,” Galatians 6:6 teaches, “you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently.” What can we do to help others remember their worth in God’s eyes, even when they’ve missed the mark? As we encourage someone who has fallen, let’s be open about our own failures. Share scripture that focuses on the help of the Holy Spirit. Assure your friend that you they can reach out to you when they feel tempted to sin and you will gently remind them of alternative courses of action.

Our lives are full of critics. Instead of adding to the criticism in someone else’s life, let’s be intentional with our encouragement today.

Resource reading: Galatians 6:16-25