
ENCOURAGEMENT IN THE FAITH
By R. Herbert
Some people are upbeat and encouraging by nature. Acts 4:36 mentions Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas - or “son of encouragement.” We aren’t given further details, but if you know a man or woman like Barnabas, you know what a difference such an individual can make in our daily lives. Romans 12:8 shows that some people, like Barnabas, have this trait in large measure: “[if your gift is] to encourage, then give encouragement.” So although most of us may have to work at developing this trait, encouragement is also one of the gifts of the Spirit of God (I Corinthians 12:4-11, 13: 4-7) that we can claim in faith, as we will see.
Naturally, encouragement has to be sincere for it to be worth anything, and if we want to see the difference between real encouragement and some very poor excuses for helping in this way, we need only review the story of Job’s friends. Even though their actions indicate they were sincere, these friends made the afflicted Job more miserable with their “helpful” comments. Job himself was moved to say that if he were in their shoes, “ … my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief” (Job 16:5), and that summarizes the situation in a nutshell: real encouragement really can help.
Encouraging One Another
Notice the example of the Apostle Paul, someone who perhaps understood the value of encouragement more than any of God’s servants. Paul had been through it all (2 Corinthians 11:24-26) and learned the importance of helping and supporting one another. Encouragement was a big part of the message that he preached. Acts 20:2 tells us, for example, that “Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia. He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people.” And when Paul could not be with the churches he pastored, he sent others with precisely this task: “ I am sending him [Tychicus] to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you” (Ephesians 6:22). Incredibly, even when Paul was a prisoner facing almost certain death, he wrote some of the most encouraging and inspiring words to be found in the scriptures. Read the book of Philippians to see this lifestyle of encouragement in action – even in the worst of circumstances.
That is the background to the commands to encourage one another found throughout Paul’s writings. Notice just two of those directives: “ … rejoice! … encourage one another” (2 Corinthians 13:11); “…encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). But do we see these statements as actual commands, or as just pleasant sentiments? It seems clear what the Apostle Paul intended them to be.
Remember too, that encouraging others isn’t just about going around smiling and saying positive things! Often it’s more what we do than what we say that encourages others and makes a difference. It also doesn’t always have to be spiritually encouraging to encourage. Doing a chore or running an errand for someone who is older or unwell, sending an e-greeting card to someone who seems down, forwarding a job lead to someone who is out of work, are all small physical things that can lift someone’s spirits. Utilizing the opportunity when we are with friends to find out a bit more about their jobs or family situations can help us better understand their encouragement needs. It just takes a little time and thought.
Be Encouraged
There is something we have to understand before we can help others in this way, however. Encouragement is like wealth – you can’t spread it if you don’t have it! We need to learn to be encouraged – to see the encouragement God offers us, not only in His word, but also in everyday life – in order to be truly uplifting to those around us.
As might be expected, the Apostle Paul provides an example here. Acts records that when he was on his way to Rome and facing a wholly uncertain future, believers in the area travelled to meet Paul: “At the sight of these people Paul thanked God and was encouraged” (Acts 28:15). And notice what Paul wrote to Philemon, “ Your love has given me great joy and encouragement” (Philemon 1:7). Like Paul, we need to be actively looking at the good things in our lives – both when things are going well and when they are not.
Even when things are going well, we still need to be open to the effects of encouragement. Acts 9:31 says, “Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.” Encouragement is a function of God’s Spirit and part of growth – if we can see it and use it.
In bad times, encouragement plays an even more obvious role. The Book of Psalms is a great resource for seeing the encouraged mindset in action. You only have to read a few of David’s psalms to see both the anguish and the joy of real life in his shoes. But David knew that things did always work out in the end. When he wrote, “You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry” (Psalms 10:17), he was writing from a lot of experience. It was with real knowledge that he wrote “weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalms 30:5). In the same way, the writer of Psalm 126 confidently confirmed, “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy” (Psalms 126:5). We have to be looking for the things that work out, conscious of them, and appreciating them, to be able to offer encouragement like that.
Using the Gift
Remember, too, that these dual points of encouraging and being encouraged go hand in hand. When we encourage others we are often encouraged ourselves. And if we focus on the things that encourage us in life, we are better able to help others do the same. Who better to summarize this situation than Paul himself: “By all this we are encouraged. In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you“ (2 Corinthians 7:13). These servants of God knew how to encourage and to be encouraged, and it’s something we are urged to do as well. So who needs encouragement? The scriptures make it clear that we all do – so even if you are privileged to know someone like Barnabas in your church or circle of friends, remember that you can be a “son” or “daughter” of encouragement, too.
By R. Herbert
Some people are upbeat and encouraging by nature. Acts 4:36 mentions Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas - or “son of encouragement.” We aren’t given further details, but if you know a man or woman like Barnabas, you know what a difference such an individual can make in our daily lives. Romans 12:8 shows that some people, like Barnabas, have this trait in large measure: “[if your gift is] to encourage, then give encouragement.” So although most of us may have to work at developing this trait, encouragement is also one of the gifts of the Spirit of God (I Corinthians 12:4-11, 13: 4-7) that we can claim in faith, as we will see.
Naturally, encouragement has to be sincere for it to be worth anything, and if we want to see the difference between real encouragement and some very poor excuses for helping in this way, we need only review the story of Job’s friends. Even though their actions indicate they were sincere, these friends made the afflicted Job more miserable with their “helpful” comments. Job himself was moved to say that if he were in their shoes, “ … my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief” (Job 16:5), and that summarizes the situation in a nutshell: real encouragement really can help.
Encouraging One Another
Notice the example of the Apostle Paul, someone who perhaps understood the value of encouragement more than any of God’s servants. Paul had been through it all (2 Corinthians 11:24-26) and learned the importance of helping and supporting one another. Encouragement was a big part of the message that he preached. Acts 20:2 tells us, for example, that “Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia. He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people.” And when Paul could not be with the churches he pastored, he sent others with precisely this task: “ I am sending him [Tychicus] to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you” (Ephesians 6:22). Incredibly, even when Paul was a prisoner facing almost certain death, he wrote some of the most encouraging and inspiring words to be found in the scriptures. Read the book of Philippians to see this lifestyle of encouragement in action – even in the worst of circumstances.
That is the background to the commands to encourage one another found throughout Paul’s writings. Notice just two of those directives: “ … rejoice! … encourage one another” (2 Corinthians 13:11); “…encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). But do we see these statements as actual commands, or as just pleasant sentiments? It seems clear what the Apostle Paul intended them to be.
Remember too, that encouraging others isn’t just about going around smiling and saying positive things! Often it’s more what we do than what we say that encourages others and makes a difference. It also doesn’t always have to be spiritually encouraging to encourage. Doing a chore or running an errand for someone who is older or unwell, sending an e-greeting card to someone who seems down, forwarding a job lead to someone who is out of work, are all small physical things that can lift someone’s spirits. Utilizing the opportunity when we are with friends to find out a bit more about their jobs or family situations can help us better understand their encouragement needs. It just takes a little time and thought.
Be Encouraged
There is something we have to understand before we can help others in this way, however. Encouragement is like wealth – you can’t spread it if you don’t have it! We need to learn to be encouraged – to see the encouragement God offers us, not only in His word, but also in everyday life – in order to be truly uplifting to those around us.
As might be expected, the Apostle Paul provides an example here. Acts records that when he was on his way to Rome and facing a wholly uncertain future, believers in the area travelled to meet Paul: “At the sight of these people Paul thanked God and was encouraged” (Acts 28:15). And notice what Paul wrote to Philemon, “ Your love has given me great joy and encouragement” (Philemon 1:7). Like Paul, we need to be actively looking at the good things in our lives – both when things are going well and when they are not.
Even when things are going well, we still need to be open to the effects of encouragement. Acts 9:31 says, “Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.” Encouragement is a function of God’s Spirit and part of growth – if we can see it and use it.
In bad times, encouragement plays an even more obvious role. The Book of Psalms is a great resource for seeing the encouraged mindset in action. You only have to read a few of David’s psalms to see both the anguish and the joy of real life in his shoes. But David knew that things did always work out in the end. When he wrote, “You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry” (Psalms 10:17), he was writing from a lot of experience. It was with real knowledge that he wrote “weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalms 30:5). In the same way, the writer of Psalm 126 confidently confirmed, “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy” (Psalms 126:5). We have to be looking for the things that work out, conscious of them, and appreciating them, to be able to offer encouragement like that.
Using the Gift
Remember, too, that these dual points of encouraging and being encouraged go hand in hand. When we encourage others we are often encouraged ourselves. And if we focus on the things that encourage us in life, we are better able to help others do the same. Who better to summarize this situation than Paul himself: “By all this we are encouraged. In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you“ (2 Corinthians 7:13). These servants of God knew how to encourage and to be encouraged, and it’s something we are urged to do as well. So who needs encouragement? The scriptures make it clear that we all do – so even if you are privileged to know someone like Barnabas in your church or circle of friends, remember that you can be a “son” or “daughter” of encouragement, too.