Have you ever been discouraged?

In the medical world, people talk about the big C—cancer. It’s terrible, and I just lost a dear friend to it. But in the spiritual realm, there’s the big D—discouragement.

Battles with discouragement are deep, prevalent, and hidden, because we don’t like to give off the idea that we’re discouraged. So we put on a happy face and tough it out as if everything’s fine. But secretly we’re discouraged inside.

In the New Testament, a man named Barnabas, an early convert to the faith, was nicknamed “Son of Encouragement.” Everywhere he went he had a wonderful ability to encourage people. On Paul’s first trip to Jerusalem, Barnabas encouraged Paul when nobody wanted to get near him because Paul had been a persecutor of the church, and nobody believed he was a real Christian. Barnabas wasn’t as eloquent as other preachers or as outstanding in Scripture, but he was valuable. Why? He gave encouragement.

Around that same period, the apostles held a council in Jerusalem to clarify doctrine and what Christianity really meant. They sent out a letter to all the churches, and the message encouraged all the churches. Then Judas and Silas went out and encouraged them further. Why is that important? Because everyone needs encouragement. You do. I do.

There’s so much discouragement, and it causes us to lose our courage, back down, give up, quit, and get morose or depressed. That’s why life is filled with great people God sends in to help others, and there should be more of us who give encouragement.

No one knows the battles people are fighting. I pastor a church with three services every Sunday, and thousands walk in. None of them stands up and says, “Help me. I’m so discouraged.” No, they’re dressed nicely, and they smile, and if I say, “How are you?” for the most part, they say, “Good. How are you?” But what they say is not always the truth. Some are battling discouragement, worried about their children, struggling with their jobs, or dealing with marriages under siege.

When I went into the ministry, I faced tremendous battles with discouragement, and I tried twice to quit. My preaching was so bad that even I fell asleep during the sermons! I hadn’t been trained for the ministry, and I carried that discouragement inside. But when we meet someone who encourages us, who says something helpful that lifts us up, it’s like the break of day.

I met someone like that less than a year into my ministry. He was a great man of God. He said to me, “You didn’t go to seminary. You were a basketball player in high school and college. You’re here downtown with your wife, who’s not trained musically. And you’re in this rundown building in the middle of the inner city.” At that time heroin was everywhere, and homeless and alcoholism. Then he broke out in a smile and said, “Oh, it’s amazing. I’m so happy for you! Don’t you see? God set this up. He must be planning to do something so amazing to have put you here where you have no idea what to do.”

Tears of joy came out of my eyes, and I said, “Really? Could this be so?”

Paul wrote a little story about a man named Onesiphorus, saying, “May God show mercy to Onesiphorus on the last day. I was in prison, and he searched me out.” The word for “encouragement” is related to the Holy Spirit, the paraclete, who comes alongside to help when things are dry and arid, an encourager who comes along like a fresh breeze. Paul continued, “May God remember him on the day of judgment, because he often refreshed my spirit” (see 2 Timothy 1:16–18). If Paul needed to be refreshed and encouraged, what about you and me?

Hebrews 3 tells us, “Encourage one another daily” (Hebrews 3:13, NIV). Brothers and sisters, we must not give up encouraging each other every day so that none of us gets trapped by the schemes of Satan and pulled back into the old life. People fight spiritual battles and give in, and the enemy comes condemning, saying, “You fraud.” Then someone comes with a word of encouragement and lifts them back up.

Before we post or text something, why don’t we ask, “Who will this encourage? Who will this help?” Social media is vicious, and kids in school face vicious bullying. We once had a musician in our church whose father told him, “You’re stupid. You’re never going to amount to anything.” He never heard one word of encouragement. But we can imitate God, who comforts everyone. He can use us to encourage others.

We don’t have to go far to lift someone up. We can pick up the phone, text someone words of encouragement—“Thinking about you today.” God’s going to help us. Let’s be encouragers in the name of Jesus Christ.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for being the ultimate source of comfort and hope in our lives. Help us to see those around us who are struggling and to be faithful encouragers who reflect Your love and point others back to You.

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