Encouragement

What do motivational speakers, self-help books, psychologists, and the Apostle Paul all have in common? They all teach that encouragement is important.

Encouragement. If we are honest with ourselves, encouragement is one of the top traits that the people we look up to the most share in common. I am willing to bet that the people who have been the most influential (in a positive way) in your life are encouragers. Similarly, I am willing to double-down and bet that the people who have had the most negative impact in your life are not encouraging people (at least not to you).

There are seventeen “one anothering” passages in the Bible (serve one another, forgive one another, submit to one another, etc.). Most occur only once. A few occur twice. Two are repeated more. “Love one another” occurs eleven times throughout the New Testament. No surprise there. But the second most often repeated one might surprise you, “encourage one another,” at five times:

2 Corinthians 13:11. Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.

1 Thessalonians 4:18. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 5:11. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Hebrews 3:13. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

Hebrews 10:24-25. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

The fact that God wanted that repeated so often in Scripture should clue us in to its importance.

Four of the five occurrences (2 Corinthians 13:11, 1 Thessalonians 4:18, Hebrews 3:13 and 10:25), are translations of the word parakaleo, which is a compound of two Greek words: Para meaning beside, alongside, or near. Para is a familiar prefix in English words too. A paragraph is a group of sentences (graph comes from the Greek word for writing or drawing) that are beside one another. You have heard of para-church ministries; these are ministries that work alongside of or with churches. Kaleo is the verb to call. So the word literally means to call near, to call alongside or beside. The fifth occurrence (1 Thessalonians 5:11) is a synonym, paramutheomai, from para and the Greek verb mutheomai which means to speak soothingly. Relationally the meaning of both words is to call someone to come close to you to receive personal comfort, encouragement, and support.

One of the ways we live for God through Christ is by encouraging one another. While some people may have a particular gift from the Holy Spirit to encourage people, and others like pastors, elders, and deacons have a clear responsibility to encourage people, all Christians have a responsibility to encourage one another.

More on this tomorrow…