One of the most powerful ways to help another person is simple, yet often underutilized.
It is the practice of encouragement. To encourage someone means to build someone up with hope or promise.1
The hard reality of this world is that hope does not simply ride on the wind.
It is not easily caught up in the blades of an unseen turbine to power our lives. Instead, life tends toward the chaotic, often feeling unfair in the way it deals out fortune and affliction. We may find the steady hum of daily routine to help us get through the day, but hope? This is not something we can often achieve alone.
Fortunately, as followers of Christ, we have access to a kind of hope that supersedes all our trials and troubles.
It is the hope we read about in Jeremiah 29:11, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’”. And in Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” This hope does not make sense to the world, yet it allows us to withstand even the greatest of difficulties.
The challenging part comes in remembering we have such a hope.
When my young car with low mileage has unexpected transmission failure, hope is hard to find. When our savings account seems to keep shrinking no matter how hard we work at building it back up again, hope is not easily within reach. The day the radiologist told me I needed a biopsy to further examine a spot seen on my mammogram, fear came hard against any hope that might have been found within me.
I think God knew that while His hope abounds, it would not always be easy for us to remember and hang onto. This is why Paul reminds us repeatedly to encourage one another (see Romans 15:2, 5, Romans 1:11-12, I Thessalonians 5:11, 2 Corinthians 1:5, and Galatians 6:2).
True encouragement should point a person back to the promises of God.
We need to be careful not to fall into the trap of flattery or rely on clichés in our efforts to make someone feel better by saying, “It’s all going to be ok” when it might not be. This type of action does not bring true hope. “Everything happens for a reason,” will not squelch the pain of a miscarriage. “God never gives us more than we can handle,” does not bring peace in the heat of chaos.
God loves us so much He is willing to get down into the messes of life with us. That is why He sent His Son to walk the earth among us. Whenever Jesus encouraged His disciples, He did so with truth. He helped them change their perspective. Oftentimes, He did this by reciting the Psalms of David or the prophets of old. Scripture is full of truth that can lift us out of the weight of our circumstances. We need to follow Jesus’ example as we encourage one another.
When I find myself in the middle of a crisis, I often don’t realize my vision has narrowed to only what I can see directly in front of me.
What I need most in those times is someone who can help me lift my head and widen my perspective. I need sincere encouragement that will help me find my way back to the truth of who God is. This doesn’t necessarily mean we can always bring the “warm and fuzzies” to a situation. There will be times encouragement comes in the form of being a silent presence because words just fail. But God’s hope prevails even in the darkest days.
The moment will come when each of us needs a little encouragement to keep going. How can you encourage someone with Godly truth today? How can bringing a new perspective to a specific situation help point us back to God?
Nichole Suvar says
So good. Appreciate your perspective on this.
robinson.kristin186 says
❤️❤️?
Deborah Rutherford says
A beautiful breath of encouragement! Thank you!
robinson.kristin186 says
So glad it encouraged you!
Lee Robinson says
Having friends and family with a biblical background helps a bunch. Praying God speaks to me to be ready to be that encouragement is the sweet spot of his will. Everyone is ready to defend their position, without consideration of others feelings. Great reminder how we can build up or tear down with what we say or do.