Be an Encourager

And let us consider [thoughtfully] how we may encourage one another to love and to do good deeds. – Hebrews 10:24 (AMP)

Encouraging others is not always natural to us as humans but we all enjoy receiving it. And on many occasions, I find myself easily pointing out what a person is lacking or doing wrong instead of what is good about them or their actions.

Today’s verse is urging us to encourage each other. Other versions say, “Spur one another on…” (NET), “Stir up…” (NKJV). The Passion Translation (TPT) says, “Discover creative ways to encourage others and to motivate them towards acts of compassion, doing beautiful works as expressions of love.”

The word “encourage” is used a lot in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. This, therefore, is showing us the importance of encouragement, to us as individuals and to others. God has so designed it that we can be encouraged in various ways including through His Word, the Holy Spirit and by other people.

Encouragement can be in form of praise, correction or admonition. When encouraging by correcting or admonishing, we need to take care that we’re not seen to be judging. We also need to be careful not to think we’re more superior, intelligent or experienced than the one being encouraged.

We can all be encouraged by anyone. Encouragement is not dependent on the age, or status of the encourager. Younger people can encourage older ones, children can encourage parents, uneducated can encourage the educated.

We are in a world where we can be easily discouraged by events that are happening around us. The death of close family members or friends, ill health, financial issues, family problems and so on. Some may be able to withstand these setbacks and are able to move forward from them quickly and others not so much. Others might have been knocked back so many times and are wondering why they should bother to get up and move on. In that instance, all they may need is encouragement from someone to get them going again.

According to the Amplified Bible (AMPC), before we can “consider and give attentive, continuous care…” to someone, you have to take time to know the person well and be willing to invest in the person. It is not an “over the counter” or one-off relationship or action but a continuous one. And this is not only the duty of leaders but also of everyone. Leaders also need to be encouraged; remember they are also human like everyone else.

Acts 4:36 tells us about a member of the early church called Joseph who was nicknamed Barnabas meaning Son of Encouragement. Imagine the impact he must have had in the early church for him to be named after his action of encouraging others.

Jonathan the son of King Saul was an encourager to David, especially during the time he was being persecuted and hunted by Saul. Jonathan didn’t care what his father thought about his friendship with David. He invested his time and effort in ensuring David’s safety and ultimately in becoming the next king of Israel.

Who are you going to encourage today? And remember, it goes both ways. “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17 (ESV)

Stay blessed,

LaraLex