騰輝很納悶，為何18歲的兒子曉風最近會花這麼多時間待在圖書館？曉風患有自閉症，很少與人交談，通常放學後就直接回家。是什麼改變了他？一番追問之下，曉風終於回答說：「我跟哲文一起讀書。」

哲文是曉風的同學，注意到曉風有學習障礙，便邀他一起唸書。哲文是曉風十八年來的第一個朋友。這段剛萌芽的友誼大大鼓舞心灰意冷的騰輝，因他早已不敢盼望兒子會交到朋友。

因著有人願意關心另一個有需要的人，並在對方身邊提供協助，便能使對方重新燃起盼望。使徒保羅在服事初代教會時，也明白眾信徒要持守對耶穌的盼望，也是如此。信徒要「警醒謹守」（帖撒羅尼迦前書5章6節），盼望耶穌再來，就必須彼此扶持（11節），特別是幫助那些面對困難的人。

因此，儘管帖撒羅尼迦教會的信徒活出愛、過著討上帝喜悅的生活（4章1、10節），使徒保羅仍提醒他們，要「勉勵灰心的人，扶助軟弱的人」（5章14節）。當我們注意到，有些基督徒活在恐懼、焦慮或沮喪中，我們就可以在他身邊，靜靜地陪伴他，聽他傾訴，鼓勵他，上帝會使用我們讓對方得到力量和勇氣，並且繼續對耶穌滿有盼望。

Thia was puzzled. Why was his eighteen-year-old son spending so much time in the library these days? His son, who was autistic and rarely spoke to anyone, would usually return straight home after class. What changed? When pressed, his son finally replied: “Studying with Navin.”

Navin, it turned out, was a classmate whod noticed that Thia’s son was struggling in class and had invited him to study together. This budding friendship—the first in eighteen years—greatly encouraged the disheartened father, who’d given up hope of his son ever having a friend.

Hope was renewed because one person cared enough to come alongside another who needed help. In Paul’s ministry to the early church, he knew this also applied to our hope of salvation. For believers in Jesus to “be awake and sober” (1 Thessalonians 5:6), living in the hope of His return, they had to help one another (v. 11), especially those who were struggling.

That’s why, even though these believers led lives of love that pleased God (4:1, 10), Paul reminded them to “encourage the disheartened, help the weak” (5:14). When we notice believers in Christ who are fearful, anxious, or despondent, and we come alongside them—whether to listen, offer a kind word, or sit quietly together—God can use us to give them the strength and courage to hold on to their hope in Jesus.