Parakaleo: Call to Come Alongside Believers

Encouragement is a Christ-like attribute and a commanded practice in the New Testament. Scripture explicitly instructs believers to "encourage one another and build one another up," making encouragement an intentional, communal discipline rather than a casual nicety ([30:50]).

The Greek term translated "encourage" is parakaleo, composed of para (beside, near) and kaleo (to call). Parakaleo therefore means literally to call someone near — to come alongside another person in a close, personal way. This etymology frames encouragement as an intimate, relational act that draws people into proximity and support ([32:03]).

Encouragement is inherently spiritual. It mirrors the work of the Holy Spirit, who comforts, strengthens, and guides believers. When encouragement is practiced biblically, it pours courage and confidence into another person’s heart in a way that reflects Christ’s presence and the Spirit’s activity within the community of faith ([32:03]).

Historical and anecdotal examples demonstrate the power of encouragement to sustain people emotionally and spiritually. For instance, Abraham Lincoln kept a newspaper clipping containing words of encouragement from a stranger during some of his most difficult seasons, showing how a timely word can carry a person through despair and hardship ([33:36]).

The Christian life is frequently described as a race requiring perseverance. Encouragement functions as the necessary fuel for endurance: it helps believers keep going, resist discouragement, and press toward the goal. Scriptural exhortations to encourage one another were given to strengthen communities facing persecution, loss, and the daily grind of discipleship, reminding believers of the hope they possess in Christ and urging ongoing mutual support ([43:36], [51:45], [44:34], [36:15]).

Encouragement, therefore, is not optional. It is a vital, ongoing spiritual practice that calls believers into relational proximity, imitates the Spirit’s comforting work, sustains emotional and spiritual health, and preserves communal perseverance in difficult seasons. Practiced faithfully, encouragement draws people closer to Christ and to one another, strengthening the body of believers for continued faithfulness and hope.

This article was written by an AI tool for churches, based on a sermon from FCC Moweaqua, one of 32 churches in Moweaqua, IL