Encourage Each Other
I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ. Galatians 1:6-7
One of the things that deeply saddens me is witnessing how many people today have chosen a path marked by anger and bitterness rather than embracing basic humanity toward one another. Unfortunately, this isn’t limited to just a few isolated incidents. If you pay attention to what’s happening around us, it’s clear that this mindset has become widespread, manifesting itself in countless situations.
Amid this prevailing negativity, there are rare moments that stand out and offer hope. One such moment that caught my attention was when a woman chose to speak words of encouragement to a football coach. Her simple act of kindness was a stark contrast to the anger and bitterness that seem so common, and it served as a powerful reminder of the impact that compassion and humanity can have.
The coach had lost a playoff game that meant their season was over. During the press conference that followed, he stood at the podium, his disappointment evident, and began the routine of calling on members of the press to ask questions. When he acknowledged a particular woman in the press corps, he likely anticipated a challenging question, perhaps one dissecting what went wrong or scrutinizing his decisions during the game. Instead, what he received was an unexpectedly uplifting comment—one of the most heartwarming things a person could hear in such a moment. With each word of encouragement, there was a visible transformation in the coach’s demeanor. The disappointment and despair he carried seemed to lift, replaced by renewed hope and strength. The woman concluded with words that resonated deeply with me: “You hold your head up, all right?” The coach responded simply, “Yes, ma’am,” and continued the remainder of the press conference with a sense of strength and confidence that had not been present before.
Moments like that linger because they feel rare. They stand in contrast to the tone we have grown accustomed to. Harshness travels faster than kindness. Outrage often feels more rewarded than encouragement. And yet, even as her job required something more critical, something in us knows that what that woman offered was right. It was human. It was restorative. It reminded someone who was discouraged that they were still seen and still worthy of dignity.
Many of us sense this tension. We feel pulled between responding with grace and joining the chorus of frustration and condemnation around us. It can be tempting to justify sharp words, hardened hearts, or dismissive attitudes as realism or strength. Over time, we may not even notice how far we have drifted from the posture of grace that first drew us to Christ.
We are not the first to feel this drift. Paul wrote to the Galatians with a similar ache in his voice. In today’s verses, his concern wasn’t simply theological. It was deeply relational. They had begun with grace, but something in the culture around them pressure, fear, persuasive voices had pulled them off center. This parallel to today’s world where politics, ethnicity, and even faith have caused many to withdraw to their side of thinking or ‘tribe’ as some would say.
We know that feeling. We start with compassion, humility, and a desire to reflect Jesus. But the world’s tone can be contagious. The more we absorb it, the more we risk mirroring it. Jesus, in His omniscience and perfect love, consistently moved toward people with truth and tenderness. He never confused strength with harshness. He never mistook condemnation for conviction. His way was always rooted in mercy, even when He confronted sin. As He said in John 13:34, “Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” And referencing a very recent devotion, in Romans 12:2 we are reminded, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.”
When we read the Gospels through Jesus’ lens, we see that His responses were never accidental. He knew the weight of every word. He understood the wounds people carried. He recognized how easily a heart could drift toward hardness. And so, He modeled a better way. A way that restores dignity, lifts the weary, and calls us back to the Good News that first captured our hearts.
Practicing this kind of grace is not passive. It requires intention. It means pausing before we speak, remembering who we belong to, and choosing compassion even when frustration feels justified. It means letting the Holy Spirit reshape our instincts so that our first response looks more like Christ than culture. And it means remembering that we do not walk this path alone. We grow in community, encouraging one another to stay anchored in the mercy that saved us. Let us make an effort to interact with others where we can intentionally respond with Christlike grace instead of instinctive frustration. Let our words be a small act of restoration.
What attitudes or habits in my heart have slowly drifted from the grace that first drew me to Jesus? Who is one person I can encourage this week with words that restore dignity and hope? My prayer is that we would return again and again to the mercy of Christ, allowing His grace to shape our words such that as professed by Paul we “encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11b) Amen.