Give Recognitions To Others!

October 23, 2025

Give Recognition To Others!

I had been defeated multiple times in the previous weeks.  I felt like a failure.  I felt like I had no future.  I felt like God’s dream for me was so badly broken it would never happen.

I looked for a word of encouragement from anyone but it was not forthcoming.  I searched for an act of kindness to affirm my worth but it was nowhere to be found.  I pursued an expression of love but it was not available. 

It was then that I discovered a way out of my defeat, a way up from my failure, a way through my hopelessness.  I discovered that when I give recognition to another person that I am lifted up, too. 

The church in first century Corinth was tearing itself apart of with arguing, squabbling, and bickering, as well as fighting, quarreling, and striving with and against one another.  The divisions in the church were deep and the conflict continual.  Towards the end of the Apostle Paul’s letter, he paints a picture of how the Christ-followers in the Corinthian church could restore harmony, increase love, and regain hope. 

In I Corinthians 16:17-18 Paul writes; “I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence, for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours.  So give recognition to such persons.” 

Paul encourages the Christ-followers in Corinth to “give recognition” to one another.  In other words, we are instructed to encourage one another, to build up one another, and to lift up one another.  Here are several places in the Bible where we are called to recognize, to build up, to encourage, and to lift up one another.

In I Thessalonians 5:10-12 we hear; “Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.”

In Acts 20:32 we hear; “And now I commend you to God and to the message of his grace, a message that is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all who are sanctified.”

In Romans 15:2 we hear; “Each of us must please our neighbor for the good purpose of building up the neighbor.”

In I Corinthians 10:23 we hear; “All things are permitted,” but not all things are beneficial. “All things are permitted,” but not all things build up.”

In I Corinthians 14:26 we hear; “What should be done then, my brothers and sisters?  When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation.  Let all things be done for building up.”

In II Corinthians 13:10 we hear; “So I write these things while I am away from you, so that when I come I may not have to be severe in using the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.”

In I Thessalonians 5:11 we hear; “Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.”

While the world is so busy tearing down people, we are called to be counter cultural by recognizing the accomplishments of one another, building up one another, encouraging one another, and lifting up one another. 

As we give this blessing to other people, we often find ourselves being built up, encouraged, and being lifted up, too. 

If you are feeling defeated, if you are feeling like a failure, if you are feeling like you have no future, or if you are feeling like God’s dream for you will never happen, it is time for you to give recognition to someone, time to build up someone, time to encourage someone, time to lift up someone. 

When you do these things, the blessing will often come back to you.  But, even if the blessing does not return to you right away, I am confident your heart will be filled with delight in the Lord. 

Make an appointment to give recognition, to build up, to encourage, and to lift up a friend this week.

Take Delight In The Lord!

Doug