Encouragement

          See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. As has just been said:

“Today, if you hear his voice,
    do not harden your hearts
    as you did in the rebellion.” (Hebrews 3:12-15)

            Encouragement. Yes, that’s a term that we need to put on the table. What is it? How does one encourage? Sometimes, it seems to be as easy as an emoticon. Other times, it requires words, lots and lots of words, or a hug or a hand, or shouldering part of the burden, or spending an hour (or a day), and sometimes, a flower will do. 
            We’re supposed to encourage others – so, what encourages you? This isn’t an easy question for me to answer. What encourages one person in a specific situation may not encourage the next person in that situation, the same person in a different situation, or even the same person in the same situation at another time. 
            A few years ago, I watched a video series about helping the poor. One of the keys it shared about being effective is that helping the poor requires that we take some time to understand what help they need. The video included stories of the destruction of the textile industry in eastern Africa because no one is going to pay for African-made clothing when they can have a Coke t-shirt for free. Like the boy’s walk to the beach to get the shell was part of the gift of the shell, so taking the time to understand. 
            In fact, sometimes the wisdom that comes from understanding is what the person needs most. Is the person on the right track? Is he/she on the wrong track? How is the person not thinking clearly? Think about the typical encouragement: “You got this. You can do this.” Why would anyone say those things? Isn’t it because the person to whom those things are said aren’t believing that they can do it?  
            A runner isn’t sure they can make it to the finish line, what do their encourages do? “Come on! You can make it!” They might even go out to jog with the runner. At least one form of encouragement is all about countering a person’s bad thinking with good thinking. 
            You can do it … when you think you can’t.
            You’ve got this… when it all feels out of control.
            I’m proud of you… when “you” feels ashamed
            You’re doing good… when you are pretty sure that  you’ve messed up so badly even God can’t  fix it.
           Encouragement is all about building courage. It’s about the heart, which means it’s about building the will to do in spite of the feelings or thoughts. It’s also about building hope in the possibility of change. Yes, you may be the wreck you think you are, but if you do this, go that way….
           In other words, encouragement is all about telling someone they are wrong. Think about it.