A few weeks ago there was an encouraging message on the church’s answering machine. The message was from one of the many Hope Chapel family members who is unable to attend our services and/or Bible Studies, and greatly misses the regular fellowship of our church family. Her message was about how grateful she is to receive the Hope Chapel bulletin in the mail every week. As I was writing her a letter, answering her message, it really made me think about what the New Testament says about the subject of encouragement.
The word encourage in its many forms is used more than 40 times in the NIV New Testament. In it’s secular use, to encourage means to inspire with hope, to give courage or assurance, to hearten. Some of its synonyms are; give confidence, cheer up, support. These definitions are all good within themselves, but when we study how encouragement is used in the Bible and knowing its source, we have much broader understanding of how encouragement is a powerful spiritual tool in God’s hands.
The Fire Study Bible says, “Encouraging is the God-given desire, ability and power to uplift others and inspire them to trust God, use their gifts or take positive action. Often associated with teaching, this gift involves delivering God’s Word in such a way that it touches the heart, conscience and will of the hearers, inspiring greater faith and producing deeper devotion to Christ.
Do you know that encouragement is a spiritual gift? The apostle Paul writing to the church in Rome lists the gift of encouragement along with many other gifts that should be part of a Christian’s life. Romans 12:6-8 (New Living Translation), 6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
We all have been encouraged by someone and know how it has blessed us, especially when the encouragement is given by someone who did not realize we needed to be encouraged. But how can we identify someone who has the gift of encouragement? Some do not realize that when inspired and directed by the Holy Spirit, speaking words of encouragement is a spiritual gift given to them by God to accomplish His purposes in other people’s lives and/or in many situations.
When a person is submitted to and guided by the Holy Spirit as they encourage others, they become His means to spiritually and emotionally affect others in ways they might not realize. When a person is being used by God to be an encouragement to another person or in a particular situation, there usually are a few other primary spiritual aspects that are at work in a person who has the gift of encouragement that God is using.
First of all to encourage is to understand a situation or a person from God’s perspective. As a result, a Christian will positively encourage, comfort and strengthen others to obey and follow God’s truth. A very good example is in Acts Chapter 15. The apostle James after hearing all that was said concerning the issue that was being discussed, discerned with a clear spiritual understanding what God wanted him to say and do concerning the matter. Acts 15:13, When they finished, James spoke up: “Brothers, listen to me…”. Acts 15:19, “It is my judgment…” What James said in verses 19 to 21 were the three main points of instruction in the letter that was produced as the result of the meeting. This letter then was read to the church at Antioch, and the result was that the church was encouraged. Acts 15:30-31, The men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. 31 The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message.
To be encouraging also requires God’s wisdom. The gift of encouragement along with discernment always works in all situations with wisdom. This is clearly seen in the apostle’s James words that were a primary part of the content of the letter to the Antioch congregation. Words of wisdom given with discernment usually results in encouragement.
Proverbs 12:18: “…the tongue of the wise brings healing.”
Proverbs 16:21 “The wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasant words promote instruction.”
Finally and most importantly, the gift of encouragement always functions with God’s agape love. “Agape means “an undefeatable benevolence and unconquerable goodwill that always seeks the highest good of the other person, no matter what he does.” It is a self–giving love that gives freely without asking anything in return, and it does not consider the worth of its object.” When the gift of encouragement is functioning out of a Christian who is in submission and guided by the Holy Spirit, they will always function and display the following characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit of love. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Even though encouragement is primarily expressed through words, we must also realize that encouragement can be expressed in other forms.
It is easy to just tell someone who needs help how to do something, but when you come along side that person to help them, it will always be encouraging. “While a teacher tells others what should be done, the encourager helps them do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:14, And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
Sometimes being an encourager also requires putting your faith in action by doing something to help others. James does not mention encouragement, but our actions of faith, especially in a situation that James mentions, will always be encouraging to those who are in need. James 2:14-17, 14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
As we prayerfully seek the Lord about how we can be an encouragement to others, He will always provide an opportunity for us to be used by Him as we act in faith.
Pastor John
