“Pleasant words are . . health to the bones.” Proverbs 16:24 NKJV
“Your greatest encouragement comes when you encourage someone else.”
My thoughts today are about “encouragers.”
Everyone needs and appreciates encouragement – young and old, successful and struggling. And when you do that will require a few encouragers in your circle of friends that are good at being that. At the root of the word is the idea of “courage,” strength of confidence to do what you know needs to be done – in the face of difficulty, danger or disagreement. See Isaiah 41:6-7.
An encourager is a friend whose counsel or conversation, or whose very example, put renewed courage and strong resolve in your life when most needed. You can give someone that gift without it costing you anything except a kind word and moment of your time.
The best way to have people like that in your life is to be a person like that in the lives of others. The story of Joseph (Genesis 37-50) gives a great lesson in the truth that what you make happen for others, God will make happen for you. His story starts with dreams, and everything seems to go south from there. His brothers hate him because of his dream and sell him into slavery.
Later, in prison, a friend has a dream and Joseph invites him to tell him about the dream. In spite of his own discouraging experience, Joseph was willing to encourage another in his dream. As you know, very soon Joseph saw God’s dream for his life begin to come true. Maybe being an encourager played some part in that for Joseph.
Another Joseph (Acts 4:36) was such an encourager of fellow believers that they changed his name to Barnabas, “one who encourages.” Encouraging became his lifestyle. His life reflected a new name to properly reflect what was a priority in his relationships with others. People know who to go to if they need to be encouraged. Do you find people seeking you out, wanting to be around you? They will, if you genuinely encourage them.
An encourager has a positive outlook, an easy recognition of others’ good, a kind word of appreciation, and usually offers a helping hand. It is not primarily about your words; it is the expression of an attitude and a practical, expressed care for others.
I have found that the greatest encouragement comes from your encouraging someone else. Who do you know that could use a bit of encouragement from you today? Whose day could you brighten, fears could you lessen, burdens could you lighten, decision could you clarify, resolve would you strengthen, if you made even a small effort to be an encourager to them? You couldn’t have come this far without encouragement from others along the way. Who do you know today that could benefit from a cheering word or the friendly voice of a friend? Why don’t you be that friend?
There may be times when no one seems there to encourage you. Listen! God will speak a word to you, for that is one of the three goals of prophecy: edification, encouragement, and exhortation. And you are always able to do as David learned to do; “David encouraged himself in the Lord.” 1 Samuel 30:6. In the Lord as well as in His Word, you can always find the strength you need to be encouraged, and to become an encourager of others.
My prayer for you today is that your example encourages others to be and do their best.