Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 3:00 — )
PROGRAM D-8102
In thinking about how we are to be encouragers, Isaiah 35:3-4 tells us to “Encourage the exhausted and strengthen the feeble. Say to those with anxious heart, ‘Take courage, fear not’” (NASB). In 1 Thessalonians 5:11 we are told, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” Christians should be people who are really good encouragers.
As marketplace Christians, we certainly have ready-made encouragement opportunities. Those coworkers and peers that we interact with daily need our encouragement. They may put on a face that says, “I have it all together and I don’t need anyone,” but don’t let that fool you. Just like you and me, they need to hear encouraging words, words of hope and cheer—and they need to hear them from you.
In addition to our coworkers, we need to encourage our family and friends. Sometimes we neglect those closest to us, assuming that they know how we feel. When we do this, we really miss some special moments to help those we love the most.
If you have children, they really do need encouragement. As parents we can easily get caught up in the need for discipline and training, and forget that children thrive on encouragement, just like the rest of us.
Have you ever encouraged your parents? Did you ever think that they need encouragement? Even though we are all grown up now, our parents need to know how special and important they are to us.
We also need to encourage our spiritual leaders. How often do you encourage your pastor and the other spiritual leaders in your life? Believe me, they need to know that you are supporting them in prayer, and that their ministry is important to your life.
I know how much the emails I receive mean to me in this ministry. When the pressures get heavy, and you wonder if it’s all worth the effort, one letter—one encouraging comment—can bolster you up and give you the strength you need to keep moving on.
I once took time to write a note to a hotel manager and thank him for the excellent service I had received at his hotel. In a short three days, I received a letter from him, thanking me for the note. He said, “Your letter made my day.” That didn’t take much time or effort on my part, but it encouraged him. As Christians we should look for opportunities to be encouragers—in any way we can.