Speak Words of Life

 

A friend and I were chatting today, and we got onto the subject of encouragement.

Have you ever stopped to think about the ministry of encouragement? I feel it’s something that is so needed in our churches today, but I also feel like it’s sadly lacking.

Did you know that everyone needs encouragement? And I mean everyone! Not just the lonely, sad and depressed people. Even the people that seem upbeat, optimistic, and put together!

What do I mean by encouragement?

The dictionary defines it as the act of giving someone support, confidence or hope. If you look at the etymology of the word, you’ll see that it literally means to put courage into.

What a beautiful word. Encourage. To put courage into. To strengthen.

But do we find this in the Bible and are we really told to do it?

Yes, and yes!

In the Bible we find over and over the phrase ‘one another’. We see it over 50 times. At times it is used in a negative sense. Like hating one another. Or oppressing one another or judging one another.

But we also see many ‘one another’s’ that are commands of Scripture and have positive outcomes.

For example:

• Be at peace with each other (Mark 9:50).
• Be devoted to one another (Rom. 12:10).
• Honour one another above yourselves (Rom. 12:10).
• Live in harmony with one another (Rom. 12:16).
• Accept one another, as Christ has accepted you (Rom. 15:7).
• Serve one another (Gal. 5:13).
• Be kind and compassionate to one another (Eph. 4:32).
• Submit to one another (Eph. 5:21).

But the most frequently used ‘one another’s’ we find in the Bible is the command to love one another. And one of the ways we love one another is to be an encouragement to others.

John 13:34 KJV - A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

In the Old Testament we see this word ‘encourage’ used 4 times and each time it has the idea of strengthening, restoring, sustaining, comforting.

When we see it in the New Testament, it is translated as exhort and comfort. It has the idea of not only breathing courage into, but also admonishing, giving strength to, instructing and teaching.

Do you see where I’m going with this?

In a church setting, in a collective body of believers, we are supposed to be giving and receiving from one another courage. We are to give hope and confidence and comfort in the Lord.

And in case you think I’m just spouting feel good words, let me show you a couple of verses to back up my claim.

In 2 Timothy 4:2, Paul reminds Timothy, as a Pastor, not only to preach the Word, but also to exhort with longsuffering and doctrine.

And in Hebrews we read this:

Hebrews 3:13 KJV - But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

And who is this talking to? Look at the preceding verse. The brethren. That’s us. Fellow believers. So, if you have some distorted view that it is only the Pastor’s job to instruct and encourage, then this verse should make it pretty clear that that’s not the case.

Let me remind you of something that I’m happy to repeatedly be ‘preachy’ about and that is the idea of community. We need each other. We were made for community. For fellowship. Of all the ‘one another’s’ in the Word of God, love and encouragement need to be right up there at the top of the list.

Everyone needs encouragement and everyone needs to be giving encouragement!

When you give someone encouragement, your goal is not for them to become dependent on you  and your words, but to strengthen them in the Lord. You need to be speaking truth over them. God’s truth. You need to be encouraging them with the Words of Scripture. This is one of the reasons it’s so important to be in the Word daily, studying it, meditating on it, memorizing it.

Can I just tell you, from someone who has experienced dark depression, the words you speak can breathe life into someone’s soul and be just what they need in a moment of despair and hopelessness?

Words have power. And words of encouragement and love coupled with the Word of God hold a power that surpasses any motivational speaker no matter how great!

There is a beautiful command found in 1 Thessalonians that speaks to this idea of encouragement.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 KJV - Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

Not only do we find a new word, edify, that means to build up, but we also find our word for encourage in the word comfort.

Comfort yourselves together. Edify one another.

Sounds pretty clear to me that we are to speak life-giving words.

Have you found that encouragers are energy-giving people, while discouragers suck the life out of a church?

When you are around someone that speaks words of life and is always looking for ways to bring God’s goodness into the conversation and lift others up, you can’t help but feel a little joy welling up inside.

A word of warning though. Encouraging is not all about nice, happy and feel-good words. The word exhort in Scripture also means teaching and instructing. Sometimes it’s hard to swallow. Sometimes it means coming alongside and showing someone where they are going wrong and helping to point out the right way. This always needs to be done in love. (Ephesians 4:15)

There are some important verses in Hebrews that we would do well to pay attention to.

Hebrews 10:23-25 KJV - Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not 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.

SIDE NOTE: I’ve always found the idea of provoking each other to love and good works interesting. We usually equate the word provoke with the negative but here it is used as a positive. Another thought for another time.

We are reminded here again to exhort/encourage one another. And even more urgent is the need as the days are drawing to a close and it won’t be long before we meet the Lord in the air.

In closing, let me give you some reasons why encouragement is so important.

Encouragement brings hope.

Encouragement helps others as they walk through difficult times.

Encouragement helps others feel loved.

Encouragement gives others the will to carry on.

Encouragement makes it easier to live in this present world.

Encouragement strengthens relationships in the body of Christ.

Encouragement reflects the character of Jesus Christ.

Encouragement strengthens faith and trust in God’s promises.

And last, but not least, encouragement is a command from the Lord.

So, as you go about your day, be sensitive to the needs of others. Be alert to the Spirit’s leading and be listening for his still, small voice as he whispers to your heart to speak words of life.

You never know what someone is facing in the very moment you choose to speak words of encouragement to them. You never know the effect of your words and the help they can be when spoken through God’s prompting at just the right time.

Whether it be the lady behind your local post office counter or the cashier at the grocery store or a brother or sister in Christ that you fellowship with on a Sunday morning, everyone needs encouragement.

Breathe life and courage into others by what you say. Use the words of Scripture to encourage and bring hope.

Romans 15:4 KJV - For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.