Be ENCOURAGED!

For I long to see you, that I may IMPART to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be ESTABLISHED that is, that I may be ENCOURAGED together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. Romans 1:11-12 (NKJV)

You can see Paul’s PASSION for the benefit of his fellow believers, his work, his family!  He LONGS to see them.  He desires to IMPART spiritual gifts to them.  He wants them to be STABLE & ESTABLISHED.  And he wants to ENCOURAGE them together in FAITH!

The Amplified version says:

That is, that we may be mutually strengthened and encouraged and comforted by each other's faith, both yours and mine.   

Notice that encouragement happens in the context of COMMUNITY!  This is why we must not quit meeting together and even more so as the COMING of the Lord approaches!

Rick Renner writes in Sparkling Gems from the Greek:

The devil works overtime to try to tempt you to skip church, stay home, and do something else instead. But, friend, why ISOLATE yourself when you are in the greatest NEED of encouragement?

For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may LEARN and all may be ENCOURAGED. 1 Corinthians 14:31 (NKJV)

We ALL can be ENCOURAGED & BLESSED!