The Power of One Encouraging Word

Will Rogers, a very popular comedian, commentator, and actor in the 1920's and 30's, said something that stayed with me from the time that I heard it as a freshman in high school. He said "You know, I never met a man I didn't like." I often heard my grandparents quoting Rogers and sharing how he seemed to have the gift of making people feel better, noting that his simplistic use of words could bring laughter and peace of mind out of the most dire of circumstances. As I read the writings of Will Rogers, one concept surfaced very quickly; Rogers, with all of his quaint showmanship and wit, changed the lives of his readers and listeners through a powerful Biblical Concept- the gift of Encouragement.

Let me illustrate. Recently, a mother brought her son in to see me.He was moderately depressed and stayed in bed much of the time. She was at her wit's end and was crying out for someone...anyone to reach into the inner recesses of her son's emotions. The storyline was common; no father in the home, jail time, numerous counselors, and zero motivation. With nowhere to turn, and her son possibly facing more jail time, she pleaded with him to talk to somebody "religious..." Religious? Well she had the wrong guy with me, but what I could do was offer him "Jesus" in a relational way that would break the chains binding his heart, soul, and spirit.

Our first meeting was a "cat and mouse" game with him trying to figure me out and myself trying to see what good traits in him that I could build on. You see, I too live by a motto; "No matter who I meet, I seek to find something good that I might encourage the individual with when the time is right ." Several weeks later, his mom called me back and said that her son was ready to talk. This time, our meeting wasn't so formal but was filled with honesty and confession. As I listened, the Holy Spirit began to let me see his giftings, and as I began to encourage him, tears filled his eyes. I was one of only a few adults that had ever encouraged him about anything. Not so long later, his mom called me, and I could tell by her joy, that great things were happening. It seemed that her son was now getting up in the mornings, seeking a job, and very eager to come to church and get super involved. "What in the world happened last week, " she asked? ( I'm sure that she was considering all the counseling fees that had produced zero results.) My response was simple;"I listened and encouraged him." Though there would be tough times ahead, helping him to believe in himself, opened the door for the reconstruction of his personality and way of thinking.

I wish that every relational encounter could be that simple, because many are not. But one thing I know, "Encouragement" is a direct out flow of love, and if we are not encouraging to those around us, we are not using love's greatest tool. Think about Jesus. Everywhere He went, He was encouraging others to greatness, freedom, deliverance, and victorious living. From fishermen, to a tax gatherer, from a prostitute, to a tax cheat, and from a betrayer to numerous doubters, Jesus always found something good to say. Reconciling people to God, most times begins by reconciling them to themselves; helping the individual to see that there are good things with which they have to offer.

Someone once told me that they were very selective in whom they encouraged, as if there was a premium on love and it shouldn't be wasted. My only response to that kind of thinking is that, while you can't just make up nice things to say, you certainly must have a heart for the lost and hurting the way that Jesus did, because "Jesus never met a person that He didn't try to share His Father's Love with." And it usually begins with encouragement based on the foundation of relational love. Take Paul's words to heart in Ephesiand 4:29. " Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an Encouragement to those who hear them." I might add, that encouragement should be practiced in everyday relationships with everyone that you come in contact with. The key is do you care enough to be a blessing to those around you? All it takes is a willingness to see the good in others and recognize it verbally.

This Thanksgiving and Christmas Season, seek out those around you who might need to be encouraged or those who might just need to be uplifted, or you can just be nice...:).... Then, ask the Holy Spirit to show you what to say. After all, if you know Him, then you are filled with His Power which can reveal to you the innermost needs where encouragement can bring healing.