By Manuele Teofilo
I enjoy meeting up with other Christians. Either at a small group, connect group or even just a coffee catch-up. These are always wonderful opportunities to share encouragement to build each other up. Or to listen to the hardships that our friend is going through and to pray for them.
In my late teenage years, I was weighed down with a big question. How do I serve? Seeing everyone at church serving in practical ways, I didn’t feel like I could do anything to serve my church community. Blinded by thinking that practical acts of service were the only way to serve, I couldn’t see how I fitted into the body of the church.
My friends and I had discussions about how I was feeling and about the question that plagued me. They first empathised with me in my confusion. Then they started to tell me how I blessed them. My courage to give things a go and praying for others were some ways I encouraged them. I began to see that even the little things can be a big encouragement to others.
Paul wrote in Romans 1:12 “Both of us need help. I can help make your faith strong and you can do the same for me. We need each other.” Paul! The guy who wrote a number of letters in the New Testament. He needed help!
Don’t underestimate how you can encourage another believer. Even if they have a major role in the church. Or if you feel you don’t give as much practically or spiritually as them. The Church in Rome, like us today, looked up to Paul as a great teacher. However, he welcomed encouragement from other believers. We may feel our way of serving is insignificant compared to others. Yet, we don’t know what impact we have on people with even just a smile.
Like Paul, we should let others support and encourage us in our faith. At the same time, we need to support and build others up in their faith.
Manuele Teofilo is Communications Coordinator at the Elevate National Support Office. He attends Gracecity Church in Auckland and lives with Cerebral Palsy.