The Hebrews writer commanded, “Let us hold fast the
profession of our faith without wavering; And let us consider one
another to
provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves
together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting
one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day
approaching” (Hebrews
10:23-25 emphasis added). Just as the early Christians were told and
expected
to encourage each other, we too must learn to encourage and exhort each
other
as well. The words to a familiar song by Lizzie DeArmond tell how
important
encouragement is: “O the things we may do, you and I, you and
I, O the love we
can give if we try, Just a word or a song as we’re
passing along, they will
count in the great by and by” (emphasis added).
Encouragement is essential
to church growth; and so we ask how can we encourage each other as the
Hebrews
writer commanded?
In the first place, we can encourage each other by our
good example. A good example is
an encouragement to others, while a bad example is a discouragement!
We
see in Acts 4
that many were
selling what they had to distribute to needy saints and notice what is
said of
Barnabas, “And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the
apostles (which is
translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus,
having
land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the
apostles’ feet” (Acts
4:36-37). The “Son of encouragement” did not tell
of a good work and encourage
others to do it alone, but by example he went and showed where his
heart was.
Christians, we must make certain that we are in the battle
fighting and not
on the sidelines shouting orders! We encourage others by our good
example.
In the second place, we can encourage each other by our
graceful words. Words can
either build or destroy. Words can encourage a person to continue or
cause a
person to stop. Graceful words are so needed in the Lord’s
church today! Paul
and Barnabas used graceful words to encourage other disciples in the
faith (Acts
14:22). The story is told of a group of frogs that were traveling
through the
woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit. All the other frogs
gathered
around the pit. When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the
unfortunate
frogs they would never get out. The two frogs ignored the comments and
tried to
jump up out of the pit. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that
they
were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the
other frogs
were saying and simply gave up. He fell down and died. The other frog
continued
to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at
him to
stop the pain and suffering and just die. He jumped even harder and
finally
made it out. When he got out, the other frogs asked him, “Why
did you continue
jumping? Didn’t you hear us?” The frog explained to
them that he was deaf. He
thought they were encouraging him the entire time! Truly, “Death
and life are in
the power of the tongue…” (Proverbs 18:21). We
encourage others by our graceful
words.
Let’s take time each day to encourage others as they walk
with the Savior. How
can we carry out the command to encourage? We encourage others by
living a good
example and by using graceful words. “But exhort one another
daily, while it is
called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of
sin”
(Hebrews 3:13)! [In my humble opinion, brother Rodney Nulph is one of
the
finest young writers and preachers I know today. I am always encouraged
when
around him or the blessed recipient of something flowing from his pen.
~ Louis
Rushmore, Editor]
