Everybody needs encouragement. Most people have a certain amount of inferiority complex and tend to get discouraged, so encouragement is a very important thing. We all need the encouragement of others, and yet most of us fail all too often to express appreciation to those around us. As we will account for every idle word, so we will for every idle silence (Matthew 12:36-37).
The Lord knows that encouragement is very important. He appreciates us and commends us, and He promises to reward us for our good work. It has nothing to do with our salvation—we get salvation as a free gift by His mercy and grace and love—but He especially commends our service for Him. He really appreciates our service and our sacrifice and the things we do for Him beyond the call of duty, and He wants us to likewise show appreciation to those who give of themselves for Him and others.
"Whatever things are of good report, if there be any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things" (Philippians 4:8). We need to apply that to those around us, and try to remind ourselves constantly to think positively about others and to thank and praise them for their good qualities, just as the Lord does with us.
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