Encouragement

By Pastor William R. Cunningham
April 30, 2006

Introduction

It has been shown experimentally that performance is increased with steady encouragement (See http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0994.htm).  However, I am sure that we don’t need experiments to show us that encouragement helps us to perform better, keep going, and to endure things that we may otherwise have given up on.  Consider the weight lifter that is encouraged by his spotter, “one more set!  Do it! Do it!”  Imagine the home town fighter in a boxing match that is cheered on by the crowd.  Imagine how you were encouraged when you were down and out emotionally.

There appears to be something significant about encouragement.  It is a major player in our lives in regards to our performance.  Encouragement is very important to a person, which I’m sure you know.  Encouragement empowers us or causes us to be empowered to go beyond what we feel like doing.  Encouragement helps us to push forward to accomplish the goal that is set before us.  We need encouragement even if it only comes from ourselves at times.  We need to be encouraged to go through the various challenges of life.

The word encouragement means:

1. To inspire with hope, courage, or confidence; hearten.
2. To give support to; foster: policies designed to encourage private investment.
3. To stimulate; spur: burning the field to encourage new plant growth.

Synonyms: encourage, animate, cheer, embolden, hearten, inspirit

These verbs mean to impart courage, inspiration, and resolution to: encouraged the athlete to compete; played music to animate the crowd; a visitor cheering the patient; was emboldened to sing for the guests; praise that heartened us; a pep talk that inspirited the weary team.

Scripture Lesson

Let’s look at various scriptures that deal with the concept of encouragement and determine what we can gain from the Bible on this topic.

• Deuteronomy 1:38 (NKJV) -- {38} Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall go in there. Encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.
• Deuteronomy 3:28 (NKJV) -- {28} But command Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you will see.’
• 2 Samuel 11:25 (NKJV) -- {25} Then David said to the messenger, “Thus you shall say to Joab: ‘Do not let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Strengthen your attack against the city, and overthrow it.’ So encourage him.”
• Ezra 6:22 (NKJV) -- {22} And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy; for the Lord made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
• Isaiah 35:3 (NKJV) -- {3} Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees.

The Hebrew word, chazaq (khaw-sak) and means to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm, be resolute, be sore. 

Encouragement in this context refers to a strengthening or an empowering to do or to continue.

Acts 11:23 (NKJV) -- {23} When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord.

Acts 27:34 (NKJV) -- {34} Therefore I urge you to take nourishment, for this is for your survival, since not a hair will fall from the head of any of you.”

Colossians 4:8 (NKJV) -- {8} I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts,

1 Thessalonians 3:2 (NKJV) -- {2} and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith,

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NKJV) -- {11} Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

Here we have the Greek word parakaleo and means to summon, to address or speak to, comfort, to admonish, exhort, to beg, entreat, beseech, to strive to appease by entreaty, to console, to encourage and strengthen by consolation, to strengthen, to teach.

We see two aspects of the concept of encourage.

1. To strengthen
2. To console or comfort

Romans 1:12 (NKJV) -- {12} that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

It is interesting that the Greek word here is translated as “encouraged” in the NKJV and “comfort” in the KJV.  The Greek word here means to console jointly or to comfort together.  So we have the idea of comfort in regards to encouragement.

1 Corinthians 14:31 (NKJV) -- {31} For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged.

Colossians 2:2 (NKJV) -- {2} that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ,

1 Thessalonians 3:2 (NKJV) -- {2} and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith,

Here we have the Greek word “parakaleo,” which means to call near, that is, invite, invoke

Philippians 2:19 (NKJV) -- {19} But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state.

Here is another twist to the concept of encouragement.  Here we see the Greek word “eupsucheo” and it means to be in good spirits or to feel encouraged.

We can encourage others by chance encounters that may change one’s life

Hope

There appears to be a correlation between encouragement and hope.  Sometimes we may lose hope in something, but regain a degree of that hope when someone or something encourages us.  It might be an encouraging word from a friend or a bit of good news that sparks a degree of hope.  Without this encouragement we would find that we would probably lose hope on a lot of things.

I was reading an article in regards to counseling and it was stated that psychological therapy fails when encouragement is neglected.  Again we need to be encouraged else we would loose hope and therefore the will to continue.  People stay in bad situations because they have hope of a better day.  They are encouraged one way or another to keep going and not give up.  Encouragement basically keeps hope alive.

Be An Encouragement

Now that we see how important and significant encouragement is.  Therefore, it is good that we be an encouragement to others and that we would encourage others.  Jesus said to let our lights shine before men.   One way to apply that is to be a positive influence to others even in dark situations.  Sometimes something as simple as a smile or a kind word can significantly change a person’s day.

We may consider someone that is abrasive or otherwise unpleasant to be worthy of being shunned or the like.  However, we never know what challenges that person is in the midst of.  We have no clue as to the pain he or she may be experiencing.  We only make it worse for the person by “fighting fire with fire” so to speak.  It would be better to give a kind word even a simple smile and a nice hello could go a long way.  Do good for others.  Encourage others because they need it and you need it.

Paul the Apostle needed encouragement and everyone else needs encouragement.  So be an encouragement to others and encourage others.  Make the day for someone else.  Most of all be an encouragement to those close to you.  Encourage your spouse.  Encourage your friend.  Encourage you siblings.  Don’t just stand back and let life steamroll them.  Be a help to them.  Help to give them strength and comfort to endure.  Encourage them.

Encourage Yourself

Many times you may find yourself alone.  You may look to your right or your left and realize that there is no one to talk to and not shoulder to lean on.  You are by yourself and you don’t want to go on.  You find yourself looking at a dark tunnel and negative thoughts begin to seep through the cracks of your mind.  Here you have to come to your senses and encourage yourself.  Look back on your life and see how God has blessed you and kept you.  See how God has led you and never let you down.  This isn’t the end.  This situation does not have to be the end.  After all you have probably gone through many bad situations and come out victorious.  Likewise, you may have come out of bad situations beaten up and defeated, but yet you recovered and kept going on.  This doesn’t have to be the end.  Remember what God has done and encourage yourself with that.

Conclusion

Encouragement is a major part of our lives.  We need to be encouraged so that we would endure those things that we may otherwise have given up on.  We need to be encouraged to perform better in the things that we have taken on or has been placed upon us.  We should also be an encouragement to others since we know how important encouragement is to us.  Be an encouragement and be a blessing to others.  Amen.