Building Up the Body of Christ One Word at a Time
Christianity.com recently published my article, “10 Forms of Gossip That Cause Church Hurt,” and it really took off (thanks, gang!). It seems that quite a lot of people were occupied with gossip (who would’ve guessed?). But that got me pondering: why? Were they victims? Have they suffered church hurt due to gossip? Either way, I didn’t want to go away readers focused on church hurt. After all, we’re the Church of Jesus—the Son of God, the Light of the World, and the Prince of Peace! Let’s rejoice and be glad in Him!
So, for this next piece, I figured it was time to shift gears and concentrate on encouragement—the antidote to gossip’s toxic effects.
In a world where words can either wound or heal, encouragement stands as probably the most powerful tools we now have to construct one another up. Gossip tears down trust and harms relationships, often driving people away from the church. But just as gossip can harm, encouragement has the facility to uplift, encourage, and heal.
Here are ten creative ways to encourage someone to transcend the standard “You’ve got this!” and the requisite fist bump and really show love in motion.
Photo Credit: Austin Kehmeier/Unsplash
