Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: ³² And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.  Ephesians 4:31-32

Introduction

The devil is using so many of us to tear each other down and we are so preoccupied with this behavior to the point where we do not even realize we are being used by the enemy.  The only tearing down you should be doing is the tearing down of strongholds in your life and other people’s lives.  Do not attack individuals for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Therefore, let us encourage and build each other up.

Stop the Tearing Down

It appears that we are very quick to tear each other down especially on social media. Politics is one of the major factors causing us to tear each other down.  Accept the outcome of the elections as tearing each other down will not remove the politicians from their positions as they are there until the next election and some may be even remained there after the elections. Other reasons why people tear each other down are due to jealousy and insecurity.

Some people are bold using their real names while others are using fictitious names. I know some people feel very satisfied about doing what they do but does it really solve the issues you have with that individual. Some of us do our best to destroy or demean the characters of individuals. Don’t you realize this is the plan of the enemy as he came to kill, steal and destroy.

Sometimes we do not have all our facts together and based upon what we hear or feel, we attack individuals. Even if you have all the pertinent information, you do not have to tear someone down. If there is a problem, reach out directly to that individual or do not say anything at all. Pray about it and leave it to God. If you see someone put a post on social media, even if you agree with it, you should not join in attacking individuals. The tearing down of individuals is creating a lot of hatred and division. It hurts family members and friends. It discourages a lot of people from pursuing what they want to do. The Bible clearly tells us to put away this type of behavior and so Christians in particular need to desist from this.

Encourage and Build Each other Up

Everybody needs encouragement. There are simple things we can do to encourage one another by writing a note or just saying, I support you, thank you, you are doing a great job, you inspire me, I am proud of you. Keep it up.

When someone is trying to upgrade their skills or acquire more knowledge, encourage them. Do not tear them down especially if they are getting or sharing knowledge about the Kingdom of God. If you apply the knowledge you have, you can defeat the enemy and win souls for the Kingdom of God.

When you hear a pastor preaches or teaches a sermon, encourage the pastor. Do not tear him down. If he preaches or say something you do not agree with, talk to him in person about it. Do not go on Facebook and throw off. Likewise, pastors should use the pulpit to preach the word of God and to encourage the members thus providing hope and an increased Faith in God.

When you see your children trying even though they may fail at times, encourage them. Some children can easily give up and so we must ensure they are encouraged and build up on a daily basis. Let them know it is ok if they make a mistake.

When you see someone opens a business, encourage them. Support them. Do not go in the business to see what they have or do not have, be sincere and encourage them. Some businesses fail and we label and refer those individuals as failures for life. Encourage them not to give up. Do you know how many successful people fail before they became successful?

When you see a politician trying to make a difference, encourage them. I know politicians need to be held accountable but we should not attack them and their families on a personal level. Attack or criticize the issues.  Politicians, you too need to set an example as well by lifting each other up despite the fact you may be on opposite sides of the camp. Build each other up so we can build up our country.

Civil servants get tear down a lot and many times they are not the ones to be blamed. They are working in a system that no matter who you put there, the outcome maybe the same. Encourage the civil servants. Some of them are working around the clock to meet the objectives of their ministry. How do you think they feel when they go online and read a post bashing them personally?

There is also a lot of tearing down going on among the locals themselves and among the locals and non-locals. I do not know when this will end. I know God does not like this. Learn to live in harmony and look at each other as children of God. A country cannot move forward if there is tearing down of the people. There must be unity and I believe it can happen. Let us try it. Love each other. Embrace each other. Support each other. Help each other. Just be quiet on some things.

Conclusion

Most of us need to be like Barnabus, an encourager.

Barnabus was an early church leader and earned the nickname “Son of Encouragement”. While the disciples avoided Saul and refused to believe he was a believer, Barnabus befriended Saul and encouraged Saul in his walk with God. He did not tear down Saul because of his past persecution and murder of believers.  Barnabus also encouraged others such as John Mark in times of conflict among believers.

Jesus instructed us to love our neighbours as we love ourselves. If we love our neighbours, we would not be tearing anyone down. Do not say you are a Christian in words and do something different in action. Encourage and Build each other by your actions. Please do not tear anyone down.