If we think of some of the people who have had the greatest influence on our lives in positive ways, it is not always family or the brightest of people. It is often common, ordinary people who may not even have a clue the influence that they have had on our lives. What makes these people so influential? They are the very people who encouraged us. It’s the teacher who was a constant source of encouragement, seeing something in us that no one else saw. It’s the coach who encouraged us to keep going because they believed that we could do it even if our teammates didn’t always share that same belief. It’s the random stranger that complimented your outfit when you were having a tough day. It’s the person in your life that encourages you with their presence every step of the way. Each of these people, in their own unique ways, breathes new life into us. When we are discouraged and beaten up by life, or the world around us they give us the energy and desire to keep going. It’s the people who pour into us when we feel completely empty. It’s the people that once we have spent 15 minutes with them, we are ready to go take on the world.
Encouragement is a life-giving force, and let’s be honest we could all use a bit of encouragement in our lives. As we read through the Bible, we see some great examples of encouragers whether it be Moses encouraging Joshua, Jonathan encouraging David, Jesus encouraging the disciples, or Paul encouraging Timothy. Over and over again, the Bible calls us to encourage one another. What can we learn from all of this? Encouragement is something that God thinks that we all need and at the same time something that we should all do.
If this is true (and it is!), then we need to consider questions like: what does encouragement look like? Is it just empty platitudes (“Keep going!” “You can do it!” Don’t give up!”)? How does God encourage us? How can we be an encourager? What picture does the Bible paint for us of what it actually looks like to encourage people? Join us over the coming 6 weeks as we explore this idea of encouragement together and learn from a guy named Barnabas who actually was nicknamed the Son of Encouragement.
