Keep On Truckin’

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” —1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)

You’ve probably seen it on a bumper or a truck flap: Keep On Truckin’. It was born in the 1930s blues—Blind Boy Fuller’s Truckin’ My Blues Away—and, in the 1960s, revived in counterculture comics by Robert Crumb, it became a kind of anthem for pressing on—no matter the road, no matter the load. 

It’s a phrase that evokes motion, grit, and a kind of cheerful defiance in the face of weariness. And while Paul didn’t coin the slogan, his words to the Thessalonian church echo the same spirit: Keep on truckin’—in encouragement, in building one another up, just as you’re already doing.

The Greek verbs Paul uses—parakaleite (encourage or comfort) and oikodomeite (build up or edify)—are in the present imperative—a grammatical form that signals ongoing, habitual action. That means they’re not one-time teachings but continued calls to action. Keep doing it. Keep showing up. Keep speaking life. 

Whether your translation says “comfort and edify” (NKJV) or “encourage and build up” (NIV, NRSVUE), the heart of the message is the same: don’t stop caring for each other. Paul isn’t correcting the Thessalonians—he’s affirming them. “You’re already doing this,” he says. “Now keep going.”

Paul’s call to “encourage one another and build each other up” isn’t a solo refrain—it’s part of a larger chorus that echoes throughout his letters. In Galatians, he urges us to “carry each other’s burdens” (6:2); in Romans, to “build up our neighbor for their good” (15:2); and in Ephesians, to speak only what is “helpful for building others up” (4:29). 

Even the letter to the Hebrews—though not written by Paul—joins the procession: “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good deeds” (10:24–25). Scripture keeps singing the same tune: keep on truckin’ in love. Keep encouraging. Keep building. Keep speaking life. Keep walking together toward the dawn.

In a world that may wear us down at times, this verse is a gentle but firm nudge to keep moving in love. Encouragement isn’t a luxury—it’s a lifeline. Building each other up isn’t optional—it’s how the body of Christ grows strong. Whether it’s a word of hope, a listening ear, or a quiet act of service, every gesture matters. And when we feel like we’ve run out of steam, Paul reminds us: you’re not alone. You’re part of a procession of grace, each one helping the other down the road.

God of the long road and the quiet strength, thank you for companions who lift us when we’re low and cheer us when we’re weary. Help us to be those companions for others. Teach us to speak words that heal, to offer presence that steadies, and to build up what the world so often tears down. May we keep on truckin’—not in our own strength, but in the encouragement of your Spirit and the company of your people. Amen.

Peace & Grace,

Pastor Tim