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Recently my daughter and I were talking about what it meant to be brave. As I reminded her, courage doesn’t mean that you ignore the danger, it means that you wisely act in spite of it. It is not courageous to do something ridiculous that has very little redemptive value; it is courageous to willingly sacrifice your comfort and security for the sake of someone else. 

While we all may like to be courageous, it can be hard to come by. When troubles are mounting, when danger seems imminent, it can be difficult to be brave. That is why we need people to encourage us. When we are down, their words, their attitudes and their actions give us the strength of heart to act. When we aren’t sure we can keep going forward, they help us see that we can. 

Paul knew well how the kindness of others can build one’s resolve. In Acts 28 Paul has survived a shipwreck but remained a captive. As he awaits trial, fellow Christians hear that Paul is there and come to chat with him. While the Bible doesn’t tell us what prompted them to visit or what conversation they had, it does tell us how Paul responded. Acts 28:15 tells us that Paul “thanked God” when he saw them, and “took courage.” The mere presence of fellow servants of Christ strengthened his heart. 

There are at least two things we can glean from this. When others are struggling and you don’t know how to help, don’t discount the benefit of just showing up. Your presence can be a reason for them to give thanks to God. Secondly, we should be reminded that fellow Christian’s depend on our investment in their lives, just like we depend on them. God doesn’t intend for us to pursue Christ in seclusion. Even the great apostle Paul needed to be encouraged by others; how much more so do we?

Being courageous is not for the faint of heart. Helping others be encouraged, however, can be accomplished by being there when they are in need. May we be committed to strengthening the hearts of our brothers and sisters in Christ. And may we recognize that when we need encouragement, we should hurry to be in the presence of those who are also pursuing Christ.