I sent him to you for this very purpose that you may know how we are doing and that he may encourage your hearts.
As we see in this verse, the bond of Christians goes beyond geographical boundaries. And we can even add — across the centuries.
Paul is sending a message of encouragement. A message of encouragement is for you to lift your eyes from what is happening around you and you set it on Jesus.
Hebrews 12:2: keeping** our ****eyes fixed**** on ****Jesus****, the ****pioneer**** ****and**** ****perfecter**** of our ****faith****. ****For**** the ****joy**** ****set out**** for ****him**** he ****endured**** the ****cross****, ****disregarding**** its ****shame****, ****and**** *****has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne***** of ****God****.**
There are things that may be very discouraging for the church in Colossi, including the fact that Paul was in prison, or maybe other circumstances around them. And it is true that what happens to others can affect us, can discourage us.
This letter to the Colossians is full of information, but there is a heart connection that comes with face to face communication that is irreproducible.
Paul said somewhere else that he longs to see those he had not seen so that he may impact some spiritual gifts on them towards their spiritual establishment.
Romans 1:11-12: For I long to see you, so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, that is, that we may be mutually comforted by one another's faith, both yours and mine.
Note that he did not believe that his letter was enough, but the gathering was super important.
In another place, the bible warns against neglecting the assembling of one another, and said that through that we would be pulled back from the trap of the deceitfulness of sin.
Hebrews 10:24-25: And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works, not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near.
Christianity is not meant to be something done in isolation, that is why it is called the body of Christ. And Paul sending Tychicus to encourage the people shows that the gathering is a place where you get encouragement.
Conversely, discouragement can lead to pulling away from the gathering.
While being warned against the deceitfulness of sin is a reason to come to the gathering, sin has a way to pull away. As an antidote, We are not supposed to hide our sins, rather the bible says that we should confess our sins one to the other and pray for one another so that we may be healed.
James 5:16: So confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great effectiveness.
Everyone is supposed to go about with a sense of neediness. Paul said the eye cannot say to the hand I do not need you, while explaining the concept of mutual dependency that we should have as the body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:21: The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don't need you!' And the head cannot say to the feet, 'I don't need you!'
Encouragement is not about changing the circumstance, rather that we have a new set of eyes, a new perspective regarding the situation.
When you are hear that all things are working together for the good of those that are called according to God’s purpose, that is encouraging, that brings a smile to your face.
Romans 8:28: And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
When you hear God is at work in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure, that is encouraging.
Philippians 2:13: For God is the one who works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
When James wrote that we should rejoice when we fall into diverse trials, it is about a change of perspective.
James 1:2-4: My brothers and sisters, consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything.
When Paul wrote that the light affliction is working out a weight of glory, that is change in perspective.
2 Corinthians 4:17: For our momentary, light suffering is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.
Christians can receive these words because we recognize that we are not tied to time and space.
Hebrews tells us that we are encompassed by an innumerable company of angels, that we are not alone even if it seems so, and there is a clouds of witnesses surrounds us.
Hebrews 12:22-24: "But you have come to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the assembly and congregation of the firstborn, who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous, who have been made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant**, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks of something better than Abel’s does.**
We are also supposed to find consolation in the scriptures.
Romans 15:4: For everything that was written in former times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and through encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope.
The scriptures is loaded with hope, but it is not going to read itself, you have to read it, and don't stop reading it.
Make it a daily routine to take in the implanted word (James 1:21).
Paul in Romans 15:4 said here is a book/scroll of encouragement; there is your supply from Christ. It may see trite to read the bible daily, but what other alternative do you have, seeing that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one (1 John 5:19)?
Conclusion
So we have two means of encouragement
one: other christians’ communication
two: the scriptures.
But I need to warn you. Not all gathering is encouragement, because there are false prophets who proclaim other things apart from Christ that we should run away from (2 Peter 2:1-3).
They come in sheep clothing but inside are ravenous wolves (Matthew 7:15), meaning, you think you will get encouragement etc, but your soul becomes dried up and you don’t even know it. You think you are coming to eat fruit, but its full of worms, it seems to have some promise of goodness but you leave damaged.