In stressed-out days it's hard to remember that we, just as we are, with all our weakness and tired thoughts, are enough to God. When we forget that God has said that we’re enough, it’s important to have friends who will come and remind us of that. One of the wonderful things about being in the Church is that other Christians can 'be' Christ to us in those moments. But while it’s great to be encouraged by others, we need to be encouraging them too. The Bible tells us to ‘encourage one another and build each other up.’ Wherever there are sporting events, there’s usually a crowd of people ready to cheer the athletes on. In Hebrews 12, we’re told that living as a Christian is like running a race. ‘So let us run the race that is before us and never give up’ (v.1 NCV). Sometimes that race can feel tough. We get tired of running and obstacles get in the way. When we see people flagging, we need to be encouraging them to not give up. But Paul not only spoke to the Thessalonians about encouraging others, he also said ‘build each other up’. We need to be helping to strengthen other people’s faith; we need to be using words that will help people rather than breaking them down. The Bible says: ‘Help others with encouraging words; don’t drag them down by finding fault’ (Romans 14:19 MSG). When we’re building others up, and they’re building us up, we’ll all have more strength to ‘run the race that is before us and never give up.’

What now?
If you’re feeling stressed, it could be helpful to connect with friends who’ve proven to be good listeners before. And if you know someone who’s struggling, why not send them an encouraging text or let them know you’re available to listen if they need to talk.