“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”  1 Thessalonians 5:11
 
A few weeks ago, in reading 1 Thessalonians, I read 5:11 in the NIV.  The word encourage caught my attention.  My thought was:   ‘Am I an encourager?’  I checked NKJV and the word comfort was used there.  Do I comfort?  Scripture is clear!  We are to encourage/comfort one another.
 
2 Corinthians 1:3-4,
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 
 
Paul goes on in his letter,
“Now we exhort (encourage) you, brethren, warn those who are unruly (insubordinate or idle), comfort the faint hearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.”  Vs. 14  
(The words in parentheses are margin notes.) 
 
It is interesting to note that in 2:10-12 Paul, Silvanus and Timothy set an example of this,
“You are our witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe; as you know we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, that you would have a walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.”
 
The source of all comfort is:
God, our Father,  as we see in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 above.
 
The Scriptures also were written for our comfort:
“For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope”  Romans 15:4
 
And who are those in need of comforting?
The sorrowful and the discouraged:
“This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man, so that on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow.”  
2 Corinthians 2:6-7
(Read 1 Corinthians 5:1 to see why punishment was inflicted on this man.  And now why Paul encourages the Corinthians to forgive and comfort this man.)
 
The faint hearted and the weak:  (I repeat 1 Thessalonians 5:14 above)
“Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the faint hearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.”
 
The troubled:
“For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side.  Outside were conflicts, inside were fears.  Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus.”  2 Corinthians 7:5-6 
Vs.7 goes on to say,
“And not only by his coming, but also by the consolation (comfort) with which he was comforted in you, when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.”    
 
We are to comfort one another:
“Therefore comfort one another with these words”  1 Thessalonians 4:18
(Read  Vs. 13-17 for ‘these words’ concerning the coming of the Lord)
 
Thank You Father for sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in Believers!
For we have the Holy Spirit, the Comforter Himself to teach, lead and guides in encouraging and comforting others. 
“And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever.”  John 14:16 
 
Are you an encourager/comforter?  Read again 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 above and see that God has made us able to be comforters/encouragers!
 
So, let us each make ourselves available; be alert to those God brings into our lives; be a good listener/attentive to what is being said; offer kind and gentle words (trust God to help us to know what to say); be a friendly hand;
and so let the Holy Spirit be our guide in all the many ways to encourage and comfort.
 
Thank you Most Holy Loving Gracious Merciful God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit for your unending love, joy and peace.  Amen