A Closer Walk
A CLOSER WALK
Greg Worthen
Encouragement is something that most every person needs. And the more the better in many cases. Someone once said that it takes five affirmations to overcome one negative comment. And my goodness it seems the air is full of negative comments these days. But those can be overcome by us, you and I, throwing encouragement in every direction.
"But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called 'Today,' lest one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin," Hebrews 3:13 NASB. We are instructed to encourage each other day after day. And for how long? As long as today is still called "Today." Not only does encouragement equip us and help us deal with daily life, but it can prevent us from being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. If we are hardened by sin or deceived by sin, doesn't it seem to be a short path to committing sin?
"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds," Hebrews 10:23-24 NASB. Let us give consideration to how we might stimulate, or encourage, each other to show more love and to practice doing more good deeds. Offering encouragement may involve thinking and planning as to how to best do that, depending on the person we wish to encourage or the circumstance bringing the opportunity where encouragement is needed. We know from experience that some things we can do to encourage others will work well. Taking food over to a relative or friend's house after a death in the family for example, offers encouragement to those receiving the food. Side benefit: as we encourage others we ourselves also become encouraged.
But we would also do well to remember the poor example of Job's three friends. Job had lost all his children and all his livestock. Then he was afflicted with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the top of his head. When his friends heard of Job's calamity they traveled to him in order to comfort him. "Now when Job's three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, they came each one from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and comfort him," Job 2:11 NASB. They had a great idea: to come to his side to sympathize with him and comfort him. And wonderful intentions: they made an appointment to go together and be by his side.
After arriving they sat with Job with no one speaking for seven days and seven nights. Then they began to speak. Were they offering comfort and sympathy? No. They basically were telling him what they thought he had done wrong to bring about his adversity and what they thought he needed to do to fix his life. And to make matters worse, they suggested that his adversity and calamity were brought about by his own sin. But the Bible tells us clearly that was not the case. "There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job, and that man was blameless, and upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil," Job1:1 NASB. Job was blameless and upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil. How do we know? Because Almighty God says so in his Holy Word.
Telling someone how to fix their life doesn't offer much encouragement or comfort. In Job's case he exclaimed, "...Sorry comforters are you all," Job 16:2 NASB. While there is a need for admonishment and a time and place for that, when someone is hurting and in pain or sorrow that likely is not the best time for it. If we are going to plant seeds, they need to be put on soft and fertile soil. Comfort first, admonish later.
Five affirmations are needed to overcome one negative comment. If someone's affirmation tank is well supplied they are better equipped to shrug off those negative comments with minimal harm or hurt. If their affirmation tank is low or on empty those negative comments will penetrate more deeply and hurt much longer.
So, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.” “But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called 'Today'...” Amen. Amen. Amen.