Encouragement + “The Power of Lifting Others”
The Power of Lifting Others.
Last night, driving home from church some thoughts regarding encouragement and discouragement began to form in my mind. It was almost as if God painted a picture, and I’m not sure I’ll do it justice here.
It came to mind that the opposite of en-courage is dis-courage. It subsequently came to mind that the core of both words is COURAGE. Almost immediately after this thought, I saw a picture of a heart…just a simple line drawing of a heart. On one side was “dis-” and on the other side was “en-.” One heart and two prefixes.
Laying in bed, the thoughts began to develop a little and this morning they’re still there, so I did some Google research.
This is interesting to me!
Definition of discourage
dis·cour·age | \ di-ˈskər-ij , -ˈskə-rij \
1: to deprive of courage or confidence : DISHEARTEN
2a: to hinder by disfavoring
b: to dissuade or attempt to dissuade from doing something
Definition of encourage
en·cour·age | \ in-ˈkər-ij , -ˈkə-rij, en- \
1a: to inspire with courage, spirit, or hope : HEARTEN
b: to attempt to persuade : URGE
2: to spur on : STIMULATE
3: to give help or patronage to : FOSTER
(“Hearten” means: “to give heart; to cheer” YAY!)
dis-HEARTEN & HEARTEN
This goes exactly with the picture in my mind.
Our hearts, the core of who we are, the place that houses our motives and mindsets, are constantly being pulled upon…pulled downward. There is a constant attempt of the enemy to deflate our heart.
“Dis-“ means: “lack of, removal, or reversal.” Our hearts are pulled down by many things:
· Life circumstances
· Our good friend “bill,” who has a lot of other friend that go by the same name
· Our flesh
· Diagnosis and loss
· Ongoing grief
· Fear and uncertainty
· Disappointments and unmet expectations
· Trials
· Mental, emotional, and physical pain
The list could go on endlessly, but that is enough to demonstrate how our heart is constantly being pulled upon. Life and the enemy are constantly pulling us downward, attempting to dis-hearten us; to take away our courage.
This is where ENCOURAGEMENT comes in. Encouragement HEARTENS us, bolster us, and pushes us upward. The prefix “en-“ means to put into or onto, cover with, go into, cause to be, provide with.” Encouragement counter-affects the downward pull of life and the lies of the enemy.
When we encourage someone, we are “heartening them.” We are lifting them up and putting a little air back into their deflated heart.
Discouragement pulls down.
Encouragement pushes up.
Discouragement disheartens.
Encouragement heartens.
Encouragement comes in may forms, but ultimately, encouragement is
Kindness in action
Concern expressed and
Love on display through words and gestures
Encouragement is a powerful force. It pushes another’s heart up. And it is powerful, because it requires us to take our focus off of our own lives, and instead, see the dis- in another’s. We are required to use our EN-ergy to push up another’s sagging soul, and in the process, our own frail heart is strengthened.
That strengthening is a life-changing aspect of encouragement. When you lift up another heart…when we encourage someone else’s heart that has dipped low, we are strengthened in the process. It is an unintended benefit of EN-couragement. IT would seem the work, effort, and EN-ergy expended would drain and deplete, but it has the reverse effect: encouragement for others encourages you!
There are 2 quotes I love, and they fit here perfectly:
“There is no better exercise for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.” –John Holmes
“Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.” –James Barrie
This principle is also in the Bible: “The merciful man doeth good to his own soul.” (Proverbs 11:17) Another translation says: “Your own soul is nourished when you are kind.” You’re doing it for them, but you simultaneously are ministered to.
EN-couragment is powerful. It heartens another while also heartening you!
EN-couragement is powerful, but it is also spiritual. There are people who will continue on the often-difficult journey to heaven BECAUSE someone EN-couraged them, someone heartened them at a moment they thought of turning back. That little push will fuel their heart to recommit to going all the way. A word of encouragement, an act of kindness at the right time can make a difference in eternity.
The great Apostle Paul, though arguably one of the greatest men in Scripture, was a man who knew much weakness and suffering and laced throughout his letters are kind words of those who had EN-courged and heartened him.
Of Stephanus, Fortunatus, and Achaius, he says, “For they have refreshed my spirit and yours.” (1 Corinthians 16:18)
Of Titus: “For when we were come to Macedonia, our flesh had no rest but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears. Nevertheless, God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus…” (2 Corinthians 7:5-6)
(Wow---God comforted them THROUGH a person!)
Of Aristarchus, Marcus, and Justus, he says, “These only are my fellow workers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me.” (Colossians 4:11)
Of Onesiphorus: “The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus, for he oft refreshed me…” (2 Timothy 1:16)
This mighty apostle was not impervious to the downward pull of DIS-couragement, and once even states he “despaired of life,” but God used PEOPLE to push him up, to refresh his spirit and to hearten him. No one will go without the need of EN-couragement. And these men listed here scripted into the best seller of all time, simply because they were EN-couragers. History would have forgotten them long ago, but because of their EN-couragement, millions have read their names. Likely this was not their intent…they were just doing what Christians do, but in the process of kindness expressed, they’ve been remembered.
And, just like that, our kindness, our decision to pour out on others and lift other’s hearts will see us scripted into their story.
Feeling down? Look for someone to lift up. Ask God for an assignment of EN-couragement. Feeling DIS-connected, meet new faces, and look for ways to refresh them. Don’t do it for you, do it for them, but you will find that in seeking EN-couragement assignments, in lifting other’s hearts, God will do a greater work in your own heart than you could ever imagine.
The hour is dark and many hearts are low…let’s shine bright and get lifting.
Don’t DIS- ‘em!
But EN-courage!
Hearten + Cheer others!
Hooray for today!
“Which Are You?”
There are two kinds of people on earth to-day;
Just two kinds of people, no more I say.
Not the sinner and saint, for it's well understood
The good are half bad and the bad are half good.
Not the rich and the poor, for to rate a man's wealth,
You must first know the state of his conscience and health.
Not the humble and proud, for in life's little span,
Who puts on vain airs, is not counted a man.
Not the happy and sad, for the swift flying years
Bring each man his laughter end each man his tears.
No; the two kinds of people on earth I mean
Are the people who lift and the people who lean.
Wherever you go you will find the earth's masses
Are always divided in just these two classes.
And oddly enough, you will find, too, I ween,
There's only one lifter to twenty who lean.
In which class are you? Are you easing the load
Of overtaxed lifters who toil down the road?
Or are you a leaner who lets others bear
Your portion of labor and worry and care?
—Ella Wheeler Wilcox