Keep Displaying Love-It Builds Up - HOW TO BUILD UP OTHERS IN LOVE

Be a good listener.  (James 1:19) To listen with empathy is an act of love. You may ask tactful and sympathetic questions with the aim of understanding the feelings of a sufferer.  You will then be able to show empathy and to build up your fellow servant.  Let your facial expressions reflect your sincere, loving concern.  If the other Christians feels the need to explain things in greater detail, be patient and resist any urge to interrupt.  By listening patiently, you will more likely understand the feelings involved.  That can help your suffering brother or sister to have confidence in your and thus be more inclined to listen to what you say as you strive to be upbuilding.   When you show that you truly care, your loving concern can be comforting.  

Avoid a critical spirit.   Our coming across as being critical of depressed ones can add to their anguish and can undermine our sincere efforts to build them up in love.  "Thoughtless speech is like the stabs of a sword, but the tongue of the wise is a healing."  (Proverbs   12:18) Naturally, we do not intentionally  'stab' depressed individuals  with hurtful words.  Yet, even if someone is 'stabbed' unintentionally, the effect can be very painful.  To build others up in love by encouraging them requires that we exercise empathy, putting ourselves in their situation to the extent possible. - Matthew 7:12. 

Console others with God's Word.  (Read Romans 15:4, 5.)  The Holy Scriptures are a treasure trove of comfort and consolation.  The Bible is from "the god who supplies endurance and comfort."  Besides comforting scriptures, we have a wealth of Bible study aids.  We can use the Watch Tower publications Index and the Research Guide for Jehovah's Witnesses.  These can help us locate upbuilding Scriptural thoughts to cope with all kinds of problems.  These aids can thus equip us to be in a position to provide empathetic thoughts that can make our loving efforts more effective.  

Next time:  Keep Displaying Love-It Builds Up - Conclusion of HOW TO BUILD OTHERS UP IN LOVE

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