ENCOURAGEMENT
The story is told of a soldier
facing court martial for an
unusual reason.
He was charged with being "a
discourager of men." Several
factors were,
no doubt, involved in the
matter. However, the bottom
line was that he
was not a good soldier, because
he discouraged instead of
encouraging
his comrades.
An entire generation of
Israelite males fell in the
wilderness because
of discouragement spawned by the
evil report by the majority of
the
twelve spies. (See Deut.
1:22-36.) The notable
exceptions were Caleb
and Joshua, who along
with Moses, sought to encourage
the people to
go up and possess the land.
Everyone needs
encouragement in pursuit of what
is good and right.
Shepherds (bishops, pastors) in
the church need encouragement in
their
work of overseeing, feeding, and
keeping the flock safe and pure
from
corruption, doctrinally and
morally. (Acts 20:27-28; I Peter
5:1-4)
Deacons who faithfully
serve for years, often with
little fanfare, need
words of encouragement. They
deal with situations which can
be quite
discouraging.
Preachers and teachers of
God's word, whether in the
pulpit, the
classroom, or in the mission
field, need to hear words of
encouragement.
Paul often spoke of those who
"refreshed" him. (See I Cor.
16:18;
II Timothy 1:16.)
Christian couples need
encouragement as they work hard
to support
and rear a good family in a bad
world. The temptation to become
dis-
couraged due to daily routines
and responsibilities and to
become like the
world is great.
Christian young people need
encouragement to refrain from
youthful
lusts and to keep themselves
pure. (II Tim. 2:22; I Tim.
5:22.)
The elderly need
encouragement as they face
health problems and
other concerns of aging. The
isolation and loneliness can be
very dis-
couraging.
We all have a duty to
encourage ourselves in the Lord.
(See I Sam.
30:6.) But, we also need to
exhort and encourage each other
(Heb. 3:13),
