Encouragement

Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.          

(1 Thessalonians 5:11, NKJV)

Our interactions with each other are either positive, negative or neutral.  This does not matter whether it is just small talk over a cup of coffee or a planned meeting.  All interactions rub into us in one way or other.  Having said this, those that I consider to be ‘neutral’ are such as have no influence on one’s life, as would be for a casual courtesy greeting to a stranger.  These seeming inconsequential encounters are often forgotten, unlike other interactions which leave a lasting impact or a thought, at times an emotion.  Most people we speak to tend to look at the glass half-empty and never half-full.  It is always about what is not happening right and rarely about any positive thing.  There are people who on being greeted, ‘how are you?’ will respond “it is not bad” and I wonder why not just say “it is good”.  Why wouldn’t we see it from the perspective of the good and acknowledge it as such, so that there is no need to introduce even a notion of the bad?  Brethren, it has been said that our attitudes, character and words are a reflection of the people that we surround ourselves with.  We may not like this, but if we spend our days around negative talk, we also become negative.  After all, there is enough bad news going round and if we are not careful, the negativity will stealthily rub into us.

Yes, the news channels are full of discouraging stories of happenings around the world, and yes we are living in the world, so how do we keep our hearts from all this negativity?  In the early church, there was a man called Joseph but was nicknamed Barnabas.  We are told that the meaning of his nickname ‘Barnabas’ is “son of encouragement” (Acts 6:36).   His parents did not call him Barnabas but out of his character, he was nicknamed so. In the midst of what the believers faced, this man was identified as one who encouraged others, he was a blessing to them.  We read further that in he encouraged the brethren in Jerusalem to accept Apostle Paul (Acts 9:27), and he also did not give up on Mark but gave him another opportunity after an initial failure (Acts 15:39).  The bible does not tell us a lot about this man Barnabas, but it is clear that he had an influential role in the early church.  His encouragement of others earned him a place of trust among the brethren and led to positive impact.  Beloved, this reflection redefines the place of encouragement for us.

Apostle Paul when writing to the Thessalonians in our reference verse, commends them to inspire and support each other.  It would seem they were already doing so, yet he still found the need to remind them in writing.  This makes for emphasis to the message.  In our lives, there are competing voices and messages that seek to take away our strength and focus.  This environment makes encouragement of each other critical, lest we set our eyes on that which is of little value.  We are each other’s keepers and by cheering each other on, we make it easier to live our faith and show the love of God in a fallen world (John 13:34-35).  Inspiring each other in the truth of God, gives us hope to stay the course (Romans 15:4).  The character of Barnabas was helpful in keeping the fire of the early church burning, may we also contribute our fire of faith and hope to the brethren that we interact with.  May we be individuals who leave a positive impact in the lives of others even if we do it, one person at a time.

Thoughts

Are there areas where you need encouragement?

Where are you drawing your encouragement from?

Whom are you encouraging?