Are You An Encourager?

I recently listened to a sermon on 2 different types of people. Balcony people and Basement people. The main idea being, are you an encourager or a discourager? It was very convicting as I took a good hard look at my own life and searched my heart to see where I fit into the two groups.

Sadly, I could see that in the past, I have often been a basement person. Discouraging, dragging others down with a melancholy, joyless and miserable attitude.

A Balcony person, on the other hand, always wants to lift others up, to encourage, to cheer on, to motivate, to inspire. They help, they serve, they give, they’re compassionate and quick to forgive. And best of all, they strive to bring glory to God and draw attention to all the Lord has done. They possess a cheerful attitude and a grateful spirit.

Psalm 118:24 This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

I discovered, that for the most part, maybe I am neither of the two. I sit somewhere in the middle. In the congregation. Not up on the balcony, but not down in the basement either. I don’t discourage, but I don’t exactly encourage either. Hmm. Lukewarm? Not cold, not hot. And we know what the Lord thinks about lukewarmness!

It’s not that my attitude is lukewarm toward the things of God, but when I speak to someone and walk away, what are they left with? What do they feel? Do they feel encouraged?

We all have those particular ‘friends’ that you dread asking how they are, because they’ll be sure to tell you! And you walk away feeling quite discouraged. You don’t feel uplifted and drawn towards God and His goodness, you feel frustrated and suddenly unhappy with your lot in life, as if by them telling you about their miserable life, it only drew attention to all the annoying things in your own life.

I came across this verse in Deuteronomy.

Deuteronomy 1:28

Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.

Notice here that is says, ‘the brethren have discouraged our heart’. As in the brothers. Christians. Discouraging others!

And this is not the only place in scripture where we see people discouraging others.

Numbers 32:6-9

 And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here? And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them? Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them.

The Hebrew word for discourage is literally, to liquefy or to melt, as it is translated here in this verse in Joshua. The people of Jericho were discouraged because they had heard of God’s greatness and what He had done for the Israelites. Their hearts melted and their courage was gone.

Joshua 2:11

 And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.  

This melting of hearts is not the kind you feel when you look at a beautiful little baby or when your sweet little toddler gives you those ‘Bambi’ eyes. This is a melting of a different sort. A fainting of heart. The Greek meaning is disheartened, spiritless, dismayed.

Are we guilty of discouraging others so that their hearts melt within them, and they lack the courage to go on? They become fearful and worried and lose sight of God’s greatness.

Or could you possibly be one of those rare, joyful, uplifting people that are always reaching down to some poor miserable soul and encouraging them with the promises of God and helping them lift their eyes to the Lord? Constantly being a reminder of God’s goodness. Reassuring them that God is faithful and boosting their low spirits by recounting stories of God’s blessings in your own life.  

Oh, how I strive to be one of these people. I look around me and see these balcony people. But sadly, they are few and far between. They are my encouragers, my cheering squad. They urge me onto bigger and better things. They lift me up by their conversation.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean that we all need to walk around with an ear to ear grin all day long, looking slightly abnormal.  (although maybe we should as it would give us an opportunity to tell others where our joy comes from?)

We know that there are times of sadness and times of gladness

Ecclesiastes 3:4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

Balcony people do not necessarily look all that different, but when they open their mouths, they encourage. They are not a discourager of hearts. We need people like this to come alongside us when we’re struggling. To cheer us on and push us towards steadfastly following what God would have us do, even if it seems pointless and fruitless.

When we’re discouraged in ministry and our work for the Lord, when we look around and we don’t see any fruit, and we feel like we’re not accomplishing anything, it’s then that the balcony people are there to lift our arms and strengthen our resolve.

Don’t be a basement person that gets down in the mud with the whining friend and begins to moan along with the miserable one, agreeing with the discouraging thoughts and words of the struggler. If you’re going to get down in the mud, then keep your anchor up on the rock, Jesus Christ, and take a firm hold of that friend, and lift them up towards the light and the solid ground.

Encourage them with verses of scripture. There are too many to choose from, but it does a soul good to be reminded of them.

Nahum 1:7 The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.

Psalm 31:19 Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!

Psalm 86:5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.

Psalm 100:5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

I think Psalm 150 has to be one of my favourite Psalms. It is just so full of praise. So, take a moment to read over this Psalm and thank God for His goodness to you. And then, when you next spend time with a friend, despite what their attitude my be at that time, become a balcony person. Lift them up. Draw them closer to the Lord by your conversation.

Don’t live in the basement, climb up to the balcony and rise above your circumstances and be an example to those around you and sing forth God’s praises all day long!

Psalm 150:1-6 Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.