Real Encouragement

They went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia, and when they saw the brethren, they encouraged them and departed (Acts 16:40 NASB).

In the final words of Acts 16 we see Paul, recently freed from prison, but having been beaten and seen quite his share of trials and pain, encouraging the brethren. It’s a point of spiritually mature people to be able to set aside their own troubles, see the needs of someone else, and encourage or serve those needs. And that is just what we see Paul doing in this passage.

In Hebrews we are told to encourage someone everyday. Every. Single. Day. So who have you encouraged today? Who needs uplifting around you? There’s at least one person in your life who needs encouragement! And God has called His children to be encouragers!

But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews 3:13 NASB

When we look into the Greek for the word encouragement, we learn what God means by encouragement. Worldly encouragement is often telling someone “Everything will be alright” or “You are doing everything just perfect; it’s everyone else who is wrong.” Those kinds of words give a momentary balm, but don’t require any truth, grace, love, or any real deep thought. In Greek the word for encourage means, “to call alongside.” When we encourage someone Biblically, we are supposed to call them to truth, grace, and Christ. Encouragement isn’t supposed to just make someone feel good about where they are in life, its meant to be like giving someone stuck in a sofa a hand to pull them up and out.

Encourage people in your life by telling them you can understand their feelings, but shower them with words and Scripture that inspire them to move toward truth, strength, righteousness, and ultimately to Christ.

Find at least one person a day that you pray over, study them a bit and listen to them so you can know how they need encouragement, and then encourage them! Send them an old fashioned letter, or shoot them a text. Invite them to coffee. Drop off some flowers with a note. Sprinkle them with Scripture, love, and gracious words that inspire them closer to Jesus. That is the very best place we can be and the very best encouragement we can give!

Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble.
Say to those with anxious heart,
“Take courage, fear not.
Isaiah 35:3-4