No matter how old we are, or how experienced we are, or how successful we are, we all need encouragement. We all desire someone to believe in us; to have faith in us.
When we fall we want someone there to pick us up, dust us off and set us back on the right track. We want someone to affirm us when we are doing well and we need someone to give us wise counsel when we are not.
In our Young Adults study group, we did a study on faith. We learned how faith enabled men like Noah, Abraham and Joseph to endure challenges and trials. Their faith gave them assurance they would endure and allowed them to see past the trials to the promises they would receive. But what got them through the trials while they were in the trenches was encouragement.
Noah needed encouragement that he and his sons could complete the monumental task of building the ark. We’re talking about a 100 year build project here! After 50 years of building and only being about half done, I’m pretty sure Noah needed some encouragement.
(And Noah didn’t get his encouragement from the rock monsters in that heretical Russel Crowe movie. Puleeeze. But hey, that’s a devotional for another time)
All of the men of faith noted in the Book of Hebrews needed encouragement to endure and to confirm that they were on the right path.
The other day I was studying what most of the world currently perceives as our greatest resource for wisdom and encouragement.
We call this resource, Facebook. Maybe you’ve consulted it as well.
On Facebook somebody posted the following quote:
“When nobody else celebrates you, celebrate yourself. When nobody else compliments you, compliment yourself. It’s not up to other people to keep you encouraged. It’s up to you. Encouragement should come from the inside.”
Do you agree with this quote? Of course, you can receive encouragement from yourself, but God’s Word should be your primary source of encouragement.
As Christian believers, we find encouragement from our Father God through His Word. As we are encouraged by our Father, we gain insight and wisdom which allows us to share what we learn as encouragement to others.
There are two basic ways we can encourage. Appreciation and affirmation.
Appreciation is confirmation of works. We appreciate what a person has done or accomplished. Congratulatory. A pat on the back for a job well done.
Affirmation goes deeper. Affirmation is praising a person’s character or who he or she is.
Both appreciation and affirmation are forms of encouragement, but appreciation is conditional upon some kind of achievement. Affirmation encourages us for who we are, regardless of our successes or failures.
Allow me to share an example. Let’s say I am encouraging my pastor.
“Pastor Jim, you gave an awesome sermon this morning”
This is appreciative encouragement. Jim would likely feel encouraged, but it’s conditional. If he hadn’t given a great sermon he may not have received a kind word of encouragement.
If instead I would say “Pastor Jim, your preaching reflects the love you have for your church family. I appreciate having you as our shepherd and spiritual leader.”
See the difference? The second compliment was unconditional and not based on achievement as much as character. Now I’m not saying to never give appreciative encouragement. Both forms are edifying and serve to build someone up. But consider how you can embellish your congratulatory compliment to speak about their character as well. Taking encouragement to a higher level.
Which form of encouragement do we receive from God?
God loves us for who we are, not what we do. God’s Word encourages us by assurance (faith) and inspiration.
So then, since our goal should be as Christians to be a reflection of Christ, we should strive to insure our encouragement is not just appreciative, but affirming.
It doesn’t matter how secure or successful a person may be, genuine encouragement is always desired and appreciated. We all need encouragement on a regular basis.
As I stated earlier, our primary source of encouragement should come from God’s Word. Two of my favorite passages that have given me encouragement are:
(James 1:2-4 ESV) “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
(Proverbs 3:5-8 ESV) “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.”
Sharing a verse with someone is always an excellent way to encourage them. But to truly encourage someone by affirmation, you need to invest in them a bit more.
Your encouragement needs to come from your heart. Pure, no hidden agenda. Just a heartfelt desire to bolster someone’s faith and share a slice of hope. A pure reflection of Christ.
Encouragement should not stop with a few kind words. Genuine encouragement should come from your heart and needs to be backed up with prayer, caring and a genuine interest in the person’s well-being.
True heartfelt encouragement is almost like adoption. We commit ourselves to being a part of their lives and to share in their joys as well as their trials.
We invest ourselves in their life. We mentor and disciple. We love them as Christ loves us.
Several years ago, when I was still relatively new to my church I was blessed by being a part of the Men’s Ministry group. The genuine heartfelt encouragement I received from the brothers in that ministry blessed me and modeled for me what a relationship with a brother in Christ should look like.
I remember receiving a letter from one of them. He shared with me how much he appreciated my input at the meetings and how proud he was of me and my growth as a Christian. That is encouragement by affirmation.
This was an actual hand-written letter. When is the last time you received a hand written letter from someone?
Let me tell you, it had an enormous impact on me. The fact that he took the time to put pen to paper meant a great deal to me.
We all fire off an occasional email or post a nice comment on Facebook to encourage someone. Maybe we’ll buy a greeting card and use someone else’s words to express ourselves to them. But nothing compares to the encouragement you receive from a written letter.
We see this modeled for us in Scripture by the Apostles. In the New Testament writings, the church was constantly receiving encouragement from letters written to them by the apostles.
These letters, or epistles almost all follow a format that begins and ends with an encouraging word.
Every letter Paul wrote began with a greeting that included “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”.
Doesn’t get much more encouraging than that, right? In fact, the letters written by John, Peter and James all have similar greetings.
When we read the epistles, are they primarily filled with congratulatory encouragement or are they affirming? They are affirming. So then, our encouragement to others should be affirming as well.
In the epistles, the heart of the apostles are revealed. There is no question how much they love their brothers and sisters in Christ. Christ himself is reflected in their words of admonishment and praise.
Along with the general message, the apostle writing the letter almost always give thanks for them and prays over them.
So here is my challenge to you. Write someone a letter of encouragement. I guarantee it will brighten their day and encourage them in a tangible way that cannot be achieved by emails or greeting cards. Use affirmation in your praise.
It will show them that they are worthy of your time and attention. That they truly matter to you. That you truly love them as Christ loves the church.
Who needs encouragement in your life? How about those who are unemployed or underemployed? How about the newlyweds who are building their lives together?
How about the military wives with children who are watching the recent developments in the middle-east and preparing for possible deployments. Do you think they need encouragement?
It doesn’t take long to come up with a long list of our brothers and sisters that are enduring trials of some kind. Imagine how much a written letter can bring refreshment and hope into their lives.
A few minutes of your day and a 49 cent stamp could have an enormous impact on someone’s life.
Amen?
