I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' " Acts 20:35
When we hear that “it is more blessed to give than to receive,” we might generally think of giving money. While that is generally true, the context is not limited to money. More specifically, it is in relation to supporting the weak. In other words, it is more blessed to give encouragement than it is to receive encouragement.
Our lives as believers in Jesus are better when we are giving encouragement than when we are receiving words of encouragement. That is not to say the reason to encourage others is to make life better for ourselves, but it is still true that it is better to give than to receive.
We are not called to encourage others because we have received encouragement from others. This means that we are better off encouraging others even when we are receiving no encouragement ourselves. If we are ever tempted to think of how much we give and yet receive so little in return, we are missing the point.
Our greatest example, as always, is Jesus. Think of the encouragement we have received from Him. Our sins are forgiven (totally and eternally!). Our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (from which they can never be erased!). We have been adopted into the family of God (and are joint heirs with Jesus!). We have the promise of Heaven in our future (where we will see His glorious face and never experience sin again—ever!). Do these truths encourage you?
It is because of the encouragement we receive from Christ (never having encouraged Him in any way), that we are motivated and empowered to encourage one another—even if we are never encouraged by anyone else!
Next time: a few ways we can encourage others…