我們活在一個好挖苦人的世界裡……只要你能夠想像得到的任何東西，網絡裡都有製作幽默的相關Memes梗圖或GIF動畫。有時這些單句小笑話讓我們可以笑到在地板上打滾，而另些時候它一句就能刺到心坎去。言語是滿有力量的；一旦講了出來之後，就只能求原諒，而不能被忘掉。言語有賦予生或死的力量。基督呼召我們要做個鼓勵者。我們的生活方式和待人的方法既可建立别人亦可摧毀他人，故此我們必須作出抉擇。我們都受耶穌之任命要領他人歸主。你覺得向其他人表達愛究竟是件易事還是難事呢？你可知道「愛你的鄰舍」（如同愛你自己一樣）在聖經中曾出現過八次嗎？這事對上帝是如此重要，以至於祂不僅重複了多次，而且還將它變成了一條誡命。祂把這條「愛你的鄰舍」的誡命結合了「盡心、盡性、盡意、盡力愛主」（馬可福音 12:30-31）。上帝知道我們會有艱難和掙扎，所以祂把它定為誡命。祂告訴我們，我們必須要有心去做和有意識地去做。
你們當中有多少人認為自己是善於鼓勵的人？我知道在此範疇我仍有許多要操練的地方。我發現自己講的話和做的事並不時常都令人得到鼓舞。如果你和我一樣，請勿放棄，繼續努力吧。希伯來書 10:25 很清楚地指出我們都要做個勸勉者，在談到要彼此勸勉的這句之前，經文是從「希望」這概念開始的。你看，之前的兩節經文是這樣寫的:「也要堅守我們所承認的指望，不至搖動，因為那應許我們的是信實的。」我們知道我們有希望是源於耶穌在十字架上為我們所做的一切。祂為我們的罪而犧牲，因祂的死亡和復活，我們與神的關係才得以恢復，我們才可經歷永生。接下那句「因為那應許我們的是信實的」意思指耶穌所講的每句都是實話實說發自真心的。
明白我們在耶穌裡都會擁有希望之後，我們就要思考如何互相激勵去彼此相愛和行善。換句話說，因我們了解到耶穌曾為我們所做過什麼之後，讓我們現在就一齊去鼓勵其他人，好叫他們也經歷到相同的經歷。要成為一個鼓勵者，源於發自內心的那份關心他人的真誠之心，我們鼓勵别人源於耶穌愛和關心我們，故此我們也愛和關心他人。我們激勵他人，因為我們知道耶穌希望他們都能得到最好的。我們鼓勵他人，因為我們希望他們能做到最好。談到要成為一個鼓勵者的時候，或許很難做到，但此事卻是極其重要的 因它可改變了某個人的一生。今天你會想鼓勵誰呢？
為那個你想鼓勵的人祈禱吧。讓人知道你有為他禱告是個打開有意思的話匣子之好方法。讓被禱告的那人知道你在祈禱裡有想念他，並且把他帶到上帝面前，這事其實是極強而有力的。
人口中的言語如同深水，智慧的泉源好像湧流的河水。 箴言 18:4
生死在舌頭的權下，喜愛它的必吃它所結的果子。 箴言 18:21
總要趁著還有今日，天天彼此相勸，免得你們中間有人被罪迷惑，心裡就剛硬了。
希伯來書 3:13
也要堅守我們所承認的指望，不至搖動，因為那應許我們的是信實的。又要彼此相顧，激發愛心，勉勵行善。你們不可停止聚會，好像那些停止慣了的人，倒要彼此勸勉，既知道那日子臨近，就更當如此。 希伯來書 10:23-25
Translation
by Deaconess Michelle Tam
We live in a sarcastic world…there are memes and gifs for anything you can think of. Sometime a one-liner can have us rolling on the floor, and other times it can cut to the heart. Words are powerful; once spoken it can only be forgiven, not forgotten. Words have the power to give life or death. Christ calls us to be encouragers; the way we live and treat others can either build them up or tear them down. We get to make that choice. Our job, commissioned by Jesus, is to point others towards Him. Do you think it will be easier or harder to do that when we show love to them? Did you know that loving your neighbor (as yourself) is found eight times in the Bible? This is so important to God that He not only repeats Himself, He made it a command. He coupled this command to love your neighbor with loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30-31). God knew we’d struggle with this so He made it a command. He’s telling us we have to do it on purpose, be intentional about it.
How many of you would admit that you are good at encouraging others? I know I have a lot of work to do in that department. I find myself saying and doing things that are not always the most encouraging. If you are like me, don’t give up, keep working on it. Hebrews 10:25 is clear that we are to be encouragers but even before this verse talks about encouraging each other it starts out with the idea of hope. You see, just 2 verses before, it starts with “let us hold firmly to the hope we claim to have, for God who promised is faithful.” We know that the hope we have is because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. He was sacrificed for our sins, and because of His death and resurrection, our relationship with God is restore and we can experience eternal life. It goes on with “God who promised is faithful!” That means what He said, He really meant.
So, as a result of understanding the hope we have in Jesus, we are to consider how we can spur each other on in love and good works. In other words, because we understand what Jesus has done for us, let us now go and encourage others to experience the same thing. Being an encourager comes from a true desire in one’s heart to care for others. We encourage others because we love and care for them because Jesus loves and cares for us. We encourage others because we know that Jesus desires the best for them. We encourage others because we want them to be their best. When it comes to being an encourager it may be hard but it is crucial to making a difference in someone’s life. Who will you encourage today?
Pray for the person you want to encourage. Letting someone know you’ve prayed for them is a great way to start a meaningful conversation, and it’s powerful for the recipient to know that you were thinking about them and you brought it to God in prayer.
“A person’s words can be life-giving water; words of true wisdom are as refreshing as a bubbling brook.” Proverbs 18:4 (NLT)
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21 (NKJV)
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today”, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. Hebrews 3:13 (NIV)
Let us hold firmly to the hope we claim to have. The God who promised is faithful. Let us consider how we can stir up one another to love. Let us help one another to do good works. And let us not give up meeting together. Some are in the habit of doing this. Instead, let us encourage one another with words of hope. Let us do this even more as you see Christ’s return approaching. Hebrews 10:23-25 (NIRV)