A dear friend of ours used to jokingly say, “Be encouraged!” when things just couldn’t get any worse. It was our way of laughing at the unbelievable pressure of a given situation when there was no prospect of an immediate solution or relief.
There are some among us who are naturally gifted encouragers. They have a knack for seeing the best in people in calling it out of them. They challenge others. They reassure. They inspire hope and confidence, emboldening and stimulating those around them to reach for more. To keep trusting God, even when He seems far away and silent.
But even for those of us who are not prone to encouragement, we are called to it. Just as not everyone has the gift of generosity, but we are all called to give. Not all have the gift of celibacy, but all are called to purity. Encouragement is energy – a deep breath to gather strength to continue – that keeps the body of Christ moving. It implies deep connections and participation in the lives of people God has surrounded us with.
As I’ve contemplated encouragement recently, I’ve been thinking of some people who encourage me. Here’s a brief, but heartfelt list (by no means complete) of ways my spirit has been urged along in life:
• Authors – Political, religious, and secular writers make me think beyond conventional wisdom and theology. Whether the thought comes from an author/pastor or a political extremist, God’s truth is strong and can bear up under the scrutiny of inquiring minds. I am encouraged by those who have taken the time and energy to question the status quo and urge me to do the same.
• Sure Friends – I have friends who are very sure of their beliefs and of theological issues and they encourage me to dig deep into what I believe Scripture says. I’m not threatened by their confidence; I’m inspired by it.
• Vulnerable Friends – A have a few friends, conversely, who encourage me by their very struggle to do the right thing and hear God in the midst of their struggles. I’m honored that one young friend in particular allows me to participate in her process as she looks at tough personal issues, trying to seek God and please Him, as she begins her relationship with Him. I want to do that, too.
• Active Friends – These friends live by the Nike slogan – “Just Do It”! My husband thought he could do what he was doing better on his own than working for someone else. So he started his own business. My best friend felt God prompting her to get involved with the poor so she organized a multi-church food drive and began tutoring in an adult literacy program. One friend (I love this!) chooses one Cuppa Joe lesson and gathers a group of women from her church once a month to discuss it in a coffee shop.
Here are a couple of bites of Scripture that have had me thinking this week. See what they stir up in you:
11I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith. (Romans 1:11-12, NIV)
24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25, NIV)
In the verses from Romans, Paul reveals his very relational and passionate tendencies in doing God’s work. He often tells the recipients of his letters how much he loves and misses them, and the beginning of his letter to the Roman Christians is no exception. And his desire to impart some spiritual gift to make them strong isn’t hubris; it’s from God. He doesn’t want the instruction or encouragement to be one-way. He wants his experience with this group of believers to be mutually encouraging. That’s kingdom life in community! To be encouraged by each other’s faith. I hope my belief in God and what I’m learning in my time in Scripture will lead me to live my life and speak words that encourage you to press into Him. To make you want to pursue God more passionately and live more purposefully. And I want that from you, too.
The writer of Hebrews challenges us to be proactive in considering how we can encourage one another. He uses a word in the NIV that doesn’t occur anywhere else in the Bible: spur on. Look at these other translations of the same passage:
24And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (ESV)
24And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
25Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. (KJV)
Stir up. Provoke. Maybe part of the encouragement process might be uncomfortable. What do you think? It might be hard to encourage someone in an area of her spiritual journey that gets messy. Or that you don’t understand completely. Or makes you have to say things that are true, but hard to hear. Yes, encouragement can mean saying, “You can do it!” But it can also mean saying, “Stop doing this!”
We are meant to live in community. That’s not just a Christian thing. That’s a human thing. We are social creatures and sometimes society gets stuck. (That’s an understatement, isn’t it?) In the body of Christ, we can encourage one another in all the ways – big and small – that make us more like the people God created us to be.
• Who has encouraged you in your faith or in your pursuits recently? Who makes you think harder and dig deeper? Who are you doing that for? Ask God to reveal those relationships this week.
• Where would you go in Scripture to encourage someone in the following areas:
~ Forgiveness ~ Marriage struggles ~ Injustice
• How has “Cuppa Joe” encouraged you? What lessons have challenged you? What did you do with that?
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