The Amazing Gift of Encouragement
The Amazing Gift of Encouragement
By: Dr. Danny Purvis
My favorite Broadway musical of all time is Les Miserables. Based on the Victor Hugo novel of the same name, it is the story of a criminal who was redeemed by God but whose past continues to haunt him. It is an extraordinary story. I would highly recommend both reading the book and seeing the musical. Arguably the worst character in the story is a man named Thenardier. Simply put, he is the worst of the worst. He is a thief, an extortionist, a con man, a liar and a manipulator. He is portrayed with some comic relief in the musical, however, in the novel his portrayal is consistent with his horrible character. He is not a nice guy and we are absolutely not supposed to like him at all. You may be wondering what this has to do with our subject matter here…but bear with me.
In the musical we are first introduced to him as the owner of a local inn. Of course, he uses this hotel to scam the guests and rob from them as much as he possibly can. He sings about this (remember, it’s a musical) when we first meet him where he tells us what his plans are. Get people to check into his inn so he can steal from them. He also tells us how he puts his victims at ease. He does so by being friendly to them. He’s friendly in order to put them at ease so they do not suspect he would be the type to steal from them. In the course of the song, he says something amazingly insightful related to his scheme. He tells us: “It doesn’t cost me to be nice”. It is a fascinating statement that has far reaching implications. In short, he is saying that even though he is not a nice guy, being nice puts them at ease and also…it doesn’t cost him anything. It does not cost him any money, effort, time, energy, or resources. The idea is that though it costs him nothing to be nice, the dividends it pays are very far reaching. It is easier for him to steal from them. But it’s his realization that being nice has no downside but only upside that is germane to our subject here.
In the opening chapter of Romans, Paul laments the fact that he has not been able to physically get to Rome to visit his fellow Believers (Romans 1:13). People he has never met but nevertheless are family to him because of their common bond with Christ. At one point he writes: “I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you…that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine” (Romans 1:11-12). This is an interesting statement. Though he later says that he can’t wait to visit Rome so he can preach the Gospel, he first states that one of the main reasons he wants to visit them is so that they can encourage each other. All throughout Scripture we see the value of encouragement as it relates to our Christian family. We are commanded to encourage each other and are reminded to encourage each other all through the Bible. Hebrews 3:13; Acts 13:15; Colossians 4:7-8; 1 Thessalonians 5:11 are just a few examples. Why is this mentioned so often?
Simply put, encouragement is one of the most gracious and impactful gifts one Believer can give to another. In the original language the word literally means to “be called to someone’s side”. Interestingly, it is the same word that is used for the Holy Spirit in John 15:26 when He is called “the Helper”. In Acts Barnabas was sent out to those preaching the Gospel “as far as Antioch” and “encouraged them all” (Acts 11:23). Barnabas was a great encourager as we see elsewhere in Acts. To encourage a fellow Believer is one of the most important things we can do for them, which is why it is mentioned so often in the New Testament. And here’s the neat thing (now we get to the connection with Thenardier)…it literally does not cost us one single thing. Nothing.
Think about it. When we do things for other Christians in need, it always has some sort of cost to it. It can cost us time, money, effort, energy, etc. Not that this is a bad thing. In fact, it is not. If we take a meal to a sick family, it costs us. If we mow a widow’s lawn, it costs us. If we volunteer at a shelter, it costs us. If we help someone whose car has broken down, it costs us. Again, that’s not a bad thing. It is a good thing. I’m just trying to make a bigger point. When we encourage our fellow Believers, it literally does not cost us a thing. It does not cost us money, time, effort, or energy. But the dividends it pays are worth more than gold. The impact encouragement has had in my life is immeasurable. It strengthens me, it gives me confidence, it blesses my heart, and it makes me feel like family. And it comes at no cost to the person giving it. Just as Thenardier understood the amazing upside to being nice, especially since it cost him nothing, so we should understand the amazing impact that encouragement has on a fellow Believer while it costs us nothing.
If we are willing to provide a meal for a family in need (which does cost us something) how much more should we be ready, willing, and able to encourage our fellow Christians (which does not cost us a thing). One of the more unflattering phrases used of Christians over the years goes like this: Christians are the only army that shoots its own wounded. There is a lot of truth, unfortunately, to that statement. Encouragement is the antidote to that reality. We are absolutely supposed to help our fellow Believers when it costs us something. That’s part of what it means to help. We can all agree on that. But if we are willing to do that, how much more so should we be quick to encourage our Christian family. The benefits are unending. The impact is immeasurable. And it won’t cost you a thing. How cool is that?
-Dr. Danny Purvis
By: Dr. Danny Purvis
My favorite Broadway musical of all time is Les Miserables. Based on the Victor Hugo novel of the same name, it is the story of a criminal who was redeemed by God but whose past continues to haunt him. It is an extraordinary story. I would highly recommend both reading the book and seeing the musical. Arguably the worst character in the story is a man named Thenardier. Simply put, he is the worst of the worst. He is a thief, an extortionist, a con man, a liar and a manipulator. He is portrayed with some comic relief in the musical, however, in the novel his portrayal is consistent with his horrible character. He is not a nice guy and we are absolutely not supposed to like him at all. You may be wondering what this has to do with our subject matter here…but bear with me.
In the musical we are first introduced to him as the owner of a local inn. Of course, he uses this hotel to scam the guests and rob from them as much as he possibly can. He sings about this (remember, it’s a musical) when we first meet him where he tells us what his plans are. Get people to check into his inn so he can steal from them. He also tells us how he puts his victims at ease. He does so by being friendly to them. He’s friendly in order to put them at ease so they do not suspect he would be the type to steal from them. In the course of the song, he says something amazingly insightful related to his scheme. He tells us: “It doesn’t cost me to be nice”. It is a fascinating statement that has far reaching implications. In short, he is saying that even though he is not a nice guy, being nice puts them at ease and also…it doesn’t cost him anything. It does not cost him any money, effort, time, energy, or resources. The idea is that though it costs him nothing to be nice, the dividends it pays are very far reaching. It is easier for him to steal from them. But it’s his realization that being nice has no downside but only upside that is germane to our subject here.
In the opening chapter of Romans, Paul laments the fact that he has not been able to physically get to Rome to visit his fellow Believers (Romans 1:13). People he has never met but nevertheless are family to him because of their common bond with Christ. At one point he writes: “I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you…that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine” (Romans 1:11-12). This is an interesting statement. Though he later says that he can’t wait to visit Rome so he can preach the Gospel, he first states that one of the main reasons he wants to visit them is so that they can encourage each other. All throughout Scripture we see the value of encouragement as it relates to our Christian family. We are commanded to encourage each other and are reminded to encourage each other all through the Bible. Hebrews 3:13; Acts 13:15; Colossians 4:7-8; 1 Thessalonians 5:11 are just a few examples. Why is this mentioned so often?
Simply put, encouragement is one of the most gracious and impactful gifts one Believer can give to another. In the original language the word literally means to “be called to someone’s side”. Interestingly, it is the same word that is used for the Holy Spirit in John 15:26 when He is called “the Helper”. In Acts Barnabas was sent out to those preaching the Gospel “as far as Antioch” and “encouraged them all” (Acts 11:23). Barnabas was a great encourager as we see elsewhere in Acts. To encourage a fellow Believer is one of the most important things we can do for them, which is why it is mentioned so often in the New Testament. And here’s the neat thing (now we get to the connection with Thenardier)…it literally does not cost us one single thing. Nothing.
Think about it. When we do things for other Christians in need, it always has some sort of cost to it. It can cost us time, money, effort, energy, etc. Not that this is a bad thing. In fact, it is not. If we take a meal to a sick family, it costs us. If we mow a widow’s lawn, it costs us. If we volunteer at a shelter, it costs us. If we help someone whose car has broken down, it costs us. Again, that’s not a bad thing. It is a good thing. I’m just trying to make a bigger point. When we encourage our fellow Believers, it literally does not cost us a thing. It does not cost us money, time, effort, or energy. But the dividends it pays are worth more than gold. The impact encouragement has had in my life is immeasurable. It strengthens me, it gives me confidence, it blesses my heart, and it makes me feel like family. And it comes at no cost to the person giving it. Just as Thenardier understood the amazing upside to being nice, especially since it cost him nothing, so we should understand the amazing impact that encouragement has on a fellow Believer while it costs us nothing.
If we are willing to provide a meal for a family in need (which does cost us something) how much more should we be ready, willing, and able to encourage our fellow Christians (which does not cost us a thing). One of the more unflattering phrases used of Christians over the years goes like this: Christians are the only army that shoots its own wounded. There is a lot of truth, unfortunately, to that statement. Encouragement is the antidote to that reality. We are absolutely supposed to help our fellow Believers when it costs us something. That’s part of what it means to help. We can all agree on that. But if we are willing to do that, how much more so should we be quick to encourage our Christian family. The benefits are unending. The impact is immeasurable. And it won’t cost you a thing. How cool is that?
-Dr. Danny Purvis
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