I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me face to face, that they may be encouraged in heart, knit together in love, and filled with the full riches of complete understanding, so that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ~ Colossians 2:1-3, Berean Study Bible

But exhort one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. ~ Hebrews 3:13, Berean Study Bible

Let us hold resolutely to the hope we confess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds. Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching. ~ Hebrews 10:23-25, Berean Study Bible

Therefore encourage and build one another up, just as you are already doing. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Berean Study Bible

What have believers in Christ done with encouragement or exhortation? Where have they hidden it, because most believers never receive any encouragement or exhortation?

How sad that is, especially since encouragement or exhortation was a necessary and expected staple in the lives of the first century Body of Christ. Indeed, it was a major way to urge or motivate one another to remain faithful, to be fruitful, to be joyful, to keep the faith, to stay hopeful, to continue to persevere/endure, to remain strong, to remain united, and so on and so forth.

Surely God knew that we all would need encouragement. Surely God knew how we all would feel when encouragement was absent from our lives—useless, forgotten, unwanted, unimportant, and/or unloved, just for starters. No wonder the apostles instructed and expected the first century Body of Christ members to encourage one another DAILY, as in the following verse: “But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today,’ so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” ~ Hebrews 3:13, NASB

So, again, I ask: What have believers in Christ done with encouragement or exhortation? Without a doubt, it is sad that God’s children do not encourage ALL their brothers and sisters in Christ, when they have the opportunities to do so—sad that so many believers, instead, think it is okay to pick and choose the people they will give support to, give hope to, give help to, show love to, inspire, strengthen, and etcetera. My brothers and sisters in Christ, we must do much better than that!

Grace to every brother and sister in Christ . . . . .  Every blessing . . . . .