In Courage: Experience Enhances Encouragement

Imagine a kid named Billy. Billy, being a young kid, doesn't understand that humans and electricity don't mix and therefore isn't aware that, when he sticks something metal into an electrical socket, he will experience a jolt he'll never forget. Like most kids, all it will take is one shock for Billy to lose all curiosity about the effects of electricity on the human body. In fact, Billy, having experienced the bite of the surprised-faced sockets that taunt all who pass their space on the wall, will be quick to inform his friends that sticking a piece metal into something with electrical current is not a good idea. Even though Billy is most likely frustrated that he had to go through the pain and agony of being electrocuted, his friends will be spared from having to experience that same pain if they listen to his wise council.

The same is true for all things that we have experienced or will experience in this lifetime--good or bad. Because we live in a fallen world and we are given free choice, there will be times in our lives where we'll go through trials, tribulations and plenty of pain. There will also be times when we'll make dumb decisions that cause us to miss out on certain blessings that God had prepared for us. These times may not be enjoyable and we may be confused as to why God would allow us to go through them, but, if we allow these "shocking" experiences to teach us and mold us into the people God wants us to be, we can use them as leverage in encouraging others to avoid things that would lead them into similar situations. Not only that, they will also help us relate with and encourage those who may be going through (or have gone through) the same experiences.

Romans 5:3-4 says, "We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation." The endurance and strength of character that we develop because of the experiences that we go through allow us to be more confident in our hope of salvation. This confidence isn't limited to us alone though; we are able to share this hope of salvation confidently because of the endurance and strength of character that our experiences have provided. Rejoicing about problems and trials because of how they enhance our ability to encourage is a much better use of our time and energy than allowing ourselves to be upset about them.

Are you constantly bitter about the experiences that God has allowed you to go through or do you use them to encourage others around you? It's important to realize that the impact we are able to have on others can be drastically influenced by the experiences that we go through. Even though the hard times God allows us to undergo aren't fun to deal with, the experience that we gain because of them have the potential to be the best tool we can use to encourage others. Don't hide the wisdom that comes from experience. Allow God to use you, regardless of whether or not you feel useable, and allow the experiences you've had to enhance your ability to encourage others.

In Courage: Bipolar Encouragement

Hopefully by now you see the enormous power encouragement can have if it is actually put into practice. Unfortunately, encouragement is not bias towards being used only for good. When we encourage someone, we have the opportunity to either encourage them to do what is right or to do what is wrong. Encouragement's bipolarity, or its potential to be used by two extremes (good or evil in this context), can be a dangerous thing as it gives evil the same amount of access to its power and influence as it does to good.

Peer pressure (which is nothing more than a glorified term used to describe evil encouragement) is a very common use of encouragement for negative purposes. Like many, throughout my school years I was faced with plenty of peer pressure. There were times when my peers would pressure me to do drugs, go to parties to get drunk, mess around with girls, and plenty of other things that the Bible clearly says to stay away from. Fortunately for me, I grew up in a Christian home where things like that were discussed and I was able to steer clear of what I was being pressured to do.

But what about the people who were baby Christians at that time or weren't Christians at all? Were they able to steer clear from all of those things? I suppose we'll never know. However, based upon the fact that many of my old school friends are now consumed by lifestyles that God never intended for them to have, I think it's safe to say that either a lack of good encouragement or a surplus of evil encouragement in their lives gave way to the lifestyles that they chose.

It's quite possible that we may be the only positive encouragement someone is exposed to. Therefore, it is very important for us as Christians to get in a habit of encouraging others to do what is right. One way to do this is to watch what we say: "Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them" (Ephesians 4:29). We must also realize that proximity, or nearness in location, isn't necessary for encouragement. You don't have to be within speaking distance of someone in order to encourage them. Actions speak louder than words, thus we must make sure our actions provide a good example that will encourage others to do the same.

Are you doing your best to be an encouragement to those around you by watching what you say and by keeping your actions in check? Or do you encourage others to do things that are not right? The sooner we realize that encouragement is bipolar, the sooner we will be able to put into practice the kind of encouragement that God wants us to produce: encouragement that causes others to see God and His will for their lives more clearly. We should not be like the wicked people that Romans 1:19-32 talks about; people who do things that are detestable to God and, even worse, encourage others to do the same. We should strive to be examples of the amazing life-changing love that God provides for all that choose accept Him.