We Build Each Other Up

Romans 1:10-12 NKJV

“…making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established—that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.”

Good morning, friends.

Paul wasn’t just hoping for a visit; he was longing for a spiritual connection. He prayed to be with the believers in Rome, not for a vacation or a platform, but to strengthen their faith—and to be strengthened himself. There’s a beautiful humility in that. Paul, the seasoned apostle, still needed encouragement. And he expected to find it among God’s people.

This is what Gospel-shaped community looks like: we give and we receive. We build up and are built up. No one is above the need for encouragement, and no one is too new to offer it. That’s why Paul spoke of a “mutual faith,” a shared grace that strengthens every heart it touches.

It’s easy to think we go to church for what we’ll get, but maybe the more important question is, what can we give? Who might God want to encourage through your presence, your words, or even your quiet prayers?

In the body of Christ, encouragement is a two-way gift that is both given and received.

Today’s Reflection:

Are you showing up expecting to receive… or also ready to give? Ask God to use you to strengthen someone else’s faith today, and don’t be surprised when He uses them to strengthen yours, too.

Closing Prayer:

Jesus, thank You for the gift of others who walk with You. Help me not to take the Christian community for granted. Give me a heart ready to build others up, and one that remains open to being built up too. Amen.