The power of encouragement

Life can throw all kinds of discouragements our way, but do we know how to put ourselves in the way of encouragement? These 5 ideas might help.

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For years I kept a sub-folder named ‘Encouragement’ in my email app. It started because we found that leading a church in Zone 2 London, people were coming in and going out all the time, not because of anything I was doing as the leader, but because there was a lot of mobility and transience in the area. On average people were with us for about two years before they moved to another part of the city, moved out of the city, or moved to another country. Even so, discouragement is never far away in ministry, especially if you play the numbers game, and church leaders do like to keep tabs on numbers.

“Anyway, one of the strategies I developed ... was to capture something of what God had been doing in the lives of those people who were with us. It was one of the most rewarding exercises.”

Anyway, one of the strategies I developed to combat any sense of discouragement (in addition to re-framing our focus from a ‘come and stay’ model to a ‘come, be built up and be sent out’ mode), was to capture something of what God had been doing in the lives of those people who were with us. It was one of the most rewarding exercises.

So when the time came for someone to let us know they were leaving town, I would get in touch with them about a number of things, but I would also say these exact words: ‘Would you be able to share a few sentences on what Jesus has done in your life during your time with us? I find it helpful to share testimonies with leaders and maybe in sermons too of what God has been up to over the years. Anything to share that would be an encouragement ….’

People would send us these incredible accounts of how they had met with God and been blessed by the community and grown in their faith and were excited about their next adventure.

Spending a bit of time in that folder was like being plugged into a charger. It reminded me what it was all about. It brought perspective and faith and most importantly it was a huge encouragement.

Encouragement is so powerful. Those who have the gift of encouragement (Romans 12) sometimes don’t know that they’re sitting on dynamite, because if someone becomes the recipient of their encouragement, they become transformed, they become bullet proof to doubts and insecurities and regain fresh faith and courage.

“If someone becomes the recipient of their encouragement, they become transformed, they become bullet proof to doubts and insecurities and regain fresh faith and courage.”

To be sure, the true meaning of encouragement is actually ‘putting courage in’. The opposite of having the courage knocked out of you during a bad day at work, when we might feel discouraged.

But the reason I kept an email subfolder called encouragement was for the purposes of making sure I did all I could to feed on encouragement and protect from discouragement. Of course I had lots of ways of putting myself in the way of encouragement (e.g. spiritual disciplines, prayer with others, reading biographies and hearing how God has been at work through men and women of faith over the centuries) but the email sub-folder was definitely one of those ways for me.

In fact, I would say that such a tool actually did these things for me:

-Released faith
-Reminded me of my calling
-Brough fresh perspective
-Caused me to worship and say ‘thank you God, you are amazing’!
-Deepened my love for people
-Raised expectation for God to move

You may not be a church leader, but the principle still stands – put yourself in the way of encouragement, however that applies in your context. How about these for ideas:

1.Pray for encouragement

I have prayed for years on and off for God to encourage me. I look back at the men and women of faith in the bible and over church history and these were courageous people. I’d love to be courageous for God. Ask God for courage. Ask him to en-courage you. 

2.Uncover encouragement

For me it was a case of asking people in my church to share what God had been doing in their life. Had I not asked, I may not have found out. It wasn’t that they were hiding it from me, it was that I had to uncover the encouragement. In your context it might be as simple as asking a question. 

3.Commit to being encouraged

I have found a constant need for encouragement. Maybe I’m particularly fearful so need more courage I don’t know, but God gives me enough encouragement for the day. Tomorrow, I’ll ask for more. The Lord’s prayer we pray ‘give us this day our daily bread’, maybe included under that heading is, Lord, today I’m going to need some encouragement, I can’t wait to see how you’re going to bring it’.

4.Spend time with encouragers

I have been so blessed to have super encouraging people around me, from my leaders, to my peers, to friends and family. Honestly, I don’t know where I would be without all that encouragement. The encouragers are those who can see something of God at work in you and are part of the community of faith calling it out of you. 

5.Encourage someone else

God gives encouragement as a gift, and a gift is to be shared with others. Don’t hold back, but encourage someone today. Not glib or trite soundbites, but something specific, ‘I like the way you…’, or ‘I was reading this verse today and I wanted to share it with you because it encouraged me…’, or ‘I really see xxx gift in you, please keep using it, God’s working through it…’.

Some thoughts on encouragement for you. Love to hear your reflections or comments below!