The Fruits of Encouragement

2 Thessalonians 1:3
"We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing."

In Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians he encourages them to live life for God and to increase their love for their brothers. This letter shows how God uses encouragement to grow fruit in everyone's lives. From this passage we can see the varied fruit resulting from encouragement.

First of all it bore fruit in Paul's life. Paul's encouragement springs from his love for the Thessalonians and the fruit of that encouragement has further increased his love and joy.  It resulted in his continual prayer and thanks giving to God for the Thessalonians. When we become encouragers we also become encouraged and our lives overflow more and more with love, joy and thankfulness. 

The encouragement also produced fruit among the Thessalonians. It helped them overcome the power of sin in their lives. Paul spoke to them about sexual immorality in the first letter and now in his second letter he doesn't make the smallest mention of it. Encouragement is self replicating, Paul initially encouraged the Thessalonians and now they are an example in which Paul boasts "among God's churches" 2 Thessalonians 1:4. One of the biggest ways in which we can impact this world is by encouraging the lives of those around us. This is because God will use that to unlock hidden potential in people's lives which will enable them to encourage others also, starting the cycle again.

So how are you going to encourage someone today?