Side By Side
“Encourage one another daily.”
Hebrews 3:13
The Greek translation for the word encouragement is parakletos, which literally means “called alongside to help.” It brings to mind the scriptural image of two people yoked side by side, as when Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. . . . For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29–30). This kind of encouragement includes offering an uplifting word, but it is more than that. It is standing by your husband and keeping an attitude of good cheer when he is laid off his job. It is pitching in to finish the dishes when your wife is too tired to stand. It’s crouching down to a four‐year‐old’s eye level and listening sympathetically as she tearfully tells you about her skinned knee.
The act of encouraging doesn’t include instructing your partner on what to do about a problem. It doesn’t include giving advice, offering tips for improving in the future, or uttering hollow words such as “You really should have known better than to make that foolish mistake” or “Get over it.” Instead, encouragement is a participation game. When you stand alongside your mate and share his or her troubles, you’ve become a practitioner of parakletos and an exceptional source of courage, hope, and happiness.
Just between us . . .
• Do you know anyone who always makes you feel good about yourself?
• How do they do it? Why is it often so difficult to think about the other person first? • How has God used me to “come alongside” you?
• How can I do better?
Lord Jesus, thank You that You put it within our power to encourage others. May we grow in that ministry. May we become experts at it—starting in our marriage. Amen.
Encourage one another daily.
Listen to today's broadcast of Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk at OnePlace.com. For more from Dr. Dobson, visit the resource center at drjamesdobson.org.
This devotional is taken from Night Light for Couples. Copyright © 2000 by James Dobson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
06/30/2020
06/29/2020
06/28/2020
06/27/2020
06/26/2020
06/25/2020
06/24/2020
06/23/2020
06/22/2020
06/21/2020
06/20/2020
06/19/2020
06/18/2020
06/17/2020
06/16/2020
06/15/2020
06/14/2020
06/13/2020
06/12/2020
06/11/2020
06/10/2020
06/09/2020
06/08/2020
06/07/2020
06/06/2020
06/05/2020
If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! (1 Cor. 10:12). Build a record of choices and deeds that proves to your partner you can be trusted at all times.
06/04/2020
06/03/2020
06/02/2020
06/01/2020
05/31/2020
05/30/2020
05/29/2020
05/28/2020
05/27/2020
05/26/2020
05/25/2020
05/24/2020
05/23/2020
05/22/2020
05/21/2020
05/20/2020
05/19/2020
05/18/2020
05/17/2020
05/16/2020
05/15/2020
05/14/2020
05/13/2020
05/12/2020
05/11/2020
05/10/2020
05/09/2020
05/08/2020
05/07/2020
05/06/2020
05/05/2020
05/04/2020
05/03/2020
05/02/2020
05/01/2020
04/30/2020
04/29/2020
04/28/2020
04/27/2020
04/26/2020
04/25/2020
04/24/2020
04/23/2020
04/22/2020
04/21/2020
04/20/2020
04/19/2020
04/18/2020
04/17/2020
04/16/2020
04/15/2020
04/14/2020
04/13/2020
04/12/2020
04/11/2020
04/10/2020
04/09/2020
04/08/2020
04/07/2020
04/06/2020
04/05/2020
04/04/2020
04/03/2020
04/02/2020
04/01/2020
03/31/2020
03/30/2020
03/29/2020
03/28/2020
03/27/2020
03/26/2020
03/25/2020
03/24/2020
03/23/2020
03/22/2020
03/21/2020
03/20/2020
03/19/2020
03/18/2020
03/17/2020
03/16/2020
03/15/2020
03/14/2020
03/13/2020
03/12/2020
03/11/2020
03/10/2020
03/09/2020
03/08/2020
03/07/2020
03/06/2020
03/05/2020
03/04/2020
03/03/2020
03/02/2020
03/01/2020
02/28/2020
02/27/2020
02/26/2020
02/25/2020
02/24/2020
02/23/2020
02/22/2020
02/21/2020
02/20/2020
02/19/2020
And a husband must not divorce his wife (1 Cor. 7:11). The distress young children experience after a divorce remains with them throughout their lives.
02/18/2020
02/17/2020
When faced with the breakup of her parents’ marriage, a hurting teenager used the following word picture in this letter to her father.
02/16/2020
02/15/2020
02/14/2020
02/13/2020
02/12/2020
02/11/2020
02/10/2020
02/09/2020
02/08/2020
02/07/2020
02/06/2020
02/05/2020
02/04/2020
02/03/2020
02/02/2020
02/01/2020
01/31/2020
01/30/2020
01/29/2020
Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share (1 Tim. 6:18). We are most like Christ when we show compassion and generosity to others.
01/28/2020
01/27/2020
01/26/2020
01/25/2020
01/24/2020
01/23/2020
01/22/2020
01/21/2020
01/20/2020
01/19/2020
01/18/2020
Even though you know you're guilty, you can't get the words out of your mouth.
01/17/2020
01/16/2020
01/15/2020
01/14/2020
01/13/2020
01/12/2020
01/11/2020
01/10/2020
01/09/2020
01/08/2020
01/06/2020
01/05/2020
01/04/2020
01/03/2020
01/02/2020
01/01/2020
12/31/2019
12/30/2019
12/29/2019
12/28/2019
12/27/2019
12/26/2019
12/25/2019
12/24/2019
12/23/2019
12/22/2019
12/21/2019
12/20/2019
12/19/2019
12/18/2019
12/17/2019
12/16/2019
12/15/2019
12/14/2019
12/13/2019
12/12/2019
12/11/2019
12/10/2019
12/09/2019
12/08/2019
12/07/2019
12/06/2019
12/05/2019
12/04/2019
12/03/2019
12/02/2019
12/01/2019
11/30/2019
11/29/2019
11/28/2019
11/27/2019
11/26/2019
11/25/2019
11/24/2019
11/23/2019
11/22/2019
11/21/2019
11/20/2019
11/19/2019
11/18/2019
11/17/2019
11/16/2019
11/15/2019
11/14/2019
11/13/2019
11/12/2019
11/11/2019
11/10/2019
11/09/2019
11/08/2019
11/07/2019
11/06/2019
11/05/2019
11/04/2019
11/03/2019
11/02/2019
11/01/2019
10/31/2019
10/30/2019
10/29/2019
10/28/2019
10/27/2019
10/26/2019
10/25/2019
10/24/2019
10/23/2019
10/22/2019
10/21/2019
10/20/2019
10/19/2019
10/18/2019
10/17/2019
10/16/2019
10/15/2019
10/14/2019
10/13/2019
Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find? (Prov. 20:6). This gentleman who so gently cared for his wife clearly understood the meaning of commitment.
10/12/2019
10/11/2019
10/10/2019
10/09/2019
10/08/2019
10/07/2019
10/06/2019
10/05/2019
10/04/2019
10/03/2019
10/02/2019
10/01/2019
May 2020 marks the 10-year anniversary of the first Family Talk broadcast—and to help celebrate God's faithfulness to our ministry, we have selected 20 of the most beloved programs from over this momentous decade. Listen in as Dr. James Dobson sits down with amazing guests that include Dennis Prager, Anne Graham Lotz, Eric Metaxas, and our own Dr. Tim Clinton. In this all-star audio collection, you'll receive a special eight-CD boxed set as our way of thanking you for your gift of $50 or more.
