Paul prayed for the church in Colosse "that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love" (Colossians 2:2). What does it mean for our hearts to be encouraged? What is encouragement, and why is it important to our life in Christ?
   The dictionary tells us "to encourage" means "to inspire with courage, hope, or resolution." It can also mean "to help or foster, to be favorable toward." [New Illustrated Webster's Dictionary of the English Language, PMC Publishing Co., Inc., New York 1992] In the New Testament, the Greek noun for encouragement can also be translated as exhortation, comfort, or consolation. One of the Greek verbs which can be translated "to encourage" means to stimulate to fulfill the ordinary duties of life. Another Greek verb which may be translated as "to encourage" means to call to the side of another, or to stand with or exhort the other person. This word is related to the word "parakletos." Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as the Holy Paraclete, the Comforter, the one who is with us to encourage, help, and exhort us (John 14:16). There appears to be more to encouragement than saying nice things to one another! If encouragement can mean exhortation, it is something strong; if it motivates us in daily life, it is tremendously practical; and if the Holy Spirit models it for us, it is something we ought to imitate.
    Encouragement is a very important part of life. We all need to be inspired with courage-we all need our hope continually renewed, especially when we experience trials. Likewise, we need affirmation to stimulate us in the ordinary duties of life. There is nothing like the support of having someone come and "stand next to" you when you are in need. We need to know we are loved, that we are doing a good job. We need encouragement when the going gets tough, when others doubt us, and when we begin to doubt ourselves.    When life becomes difficult, it is encouragement that enables us to approach the difficult with joy. Encouragement helps combat and overcome the negative aspects of life. It is instrumental to good mental and physical health. Those who are encouraged can much more easily receive instruction and correction, and may even desire it. On the other hand, when we fail to receive regular encouragement from God and others, we are plunged into spiritual darkness; the journey along the road of life becomes difficult and can seem impossible. Despair begins to eat away at us, hope is diminished or lost, and deep fatigue can set in. We find it difficult, if not impossible, to receive correction or to give it without anger. Failure seems imminent. We become so focused on our "failures" that we often fail to recognize success when it stares us in the face. As we focus on our "failures," we see ourselves as worthless. Often, we do not recognize God's love and find it difficult to receive encouragement from others; we think they are being insincere or that they do not really see the whole picture. The truth is we are the ones who are blinded. When we refuse to receive encouragement from God and others, depression may set in accompanied by anger, rage, or apathy.
   Life does not need to go on like this. Jesus did not go to the cross for us to live in despair. On the contrary, He died that we might experience abundant life (see John 10:10). Godly encouragement can heal and strengthen us on a spiritual level. I believe encouragement is a spiritual matter, even when it does not seem like the encouragement we give is particularly spiritual. All true and godly encouragement points us to God and is grounded in truth and hope: the truth of who we are in Christ and the hope of the Gospel. In truth, God has made us for greatness! We do not have to come up with false flattery to encourage others; we are all fearfully and wonderfully made and worth encouraging. Though all encouragement is linked to truth and hope, some of the most powerful encouragement deals directly with spiritual matters: reminding one another of who we are in Christ and the promises God has made to us, affirming one another in the call of God on our lives, and encouraging one another to walk in the will of God. Inevitably, when we begin to give and receive godly encouragement, we will grow in spiritual strength and personal wholeness.
   So, where do we go to receive encouragement? First, we go to God. He is our best source of encouragement. We each need to take time with the Lord to ask Him to encourage us. It is important for us to ask Him how He sees us and to listen to what He says. He is our Father, and there is nothing wrong with asking Him to affirm us. It is easy to spend so much time looking for affirmation from man that we forget that the best encourager lives within us.
   We also will be encouraged when we worship God, when we offer Him a sacrifice of thanksgiving. In God's economy, when we give to Him, we receive back and are strengthened. Worship of and relationship with God are the richest sources of encouragement and are the best tonic for establishing and maintaining healthy self-worth. The Scriptures, read with faith and hope, are also a wealth of encouragement.
   The next place we receive encouragement is from others. Some of us may genuinely have no one in our lives to encourage us, but more often than not, others are trying to encourage us and we are choosing not to receive it. How many of us, when we have received a compliment, have responded by criticizing ourselves? We cannot make people encourage us, but we can make an effort to receive encouragement when it is given.
   Instead of waiting for others to encourage us, we can start by encouraging others. Believe it or not, we receive as much as we give when we encourage others. Encouraging others helps us to come out of ourselves. When we are looking for ways to bless others, we are not seeking our own selfish desires. To encourage others we need to look to Jesus and the Holy Spirit for our primary source of life and strength and for wisdom in blessing others.
   So, where do we start? Asking God for increased wisdom and discernment to know how to be an encourager is a great place to begin. You may be surprised at the insight He gives you into how to bless others. It is also good to note the type of encouragement we enjoy receiving and follow that example. For instance, we all need encouragement from leaders and those in authority over us, so we know to look for opportunities to inspire those under our authority. Encouragement from our peers is a special blessing, and we can return the blessing to them. We all appreciate encouragement from those who have gone before us, and needless to say, the young and those who are following us on the road we have traversed need our encouragement too.
   A true encourager will see areas in the life of another that can be encouraged. Obviously, we can compliment people when they are doing well, but we can also encourage them in the areas where they are struggling or even failing. We can encourage their heart attitude, perseverance, or courage. We can praise a victory or a work in process. There are innumerable ways to encourage others. It can take the form of a word, a smile, a hug, an exhortation, an instruction, or a blessing. When seeking to encourage, it is important to avoid false flattery. Insincere compliments and sentimentality do not accomplish the will of God. They are hurtful and are in reality a form of lying. There are so many different areas and ways to encourage; we do not need to resort to untruthful ones.
   When we intentionally choose to begin encouraging others, our outlook on life will change. It is so easy to see the faults in our brothers and sisters, to notice what irritates us in them, or even to note where we would like to see them grow; however, if we make a point to notice the good things in others and tell them, we will begin to see them with the eyes of Christ. It is the Enemy who would have us always pointing out our brother's faults and being down on ourselves for our failures. We do have a responsibility to confront our brother when he is in sin, but we need to rely on the Holy Spirit to know when and how. God does not continually pounce on us and require us to be perfect all at once. No, He graciously and mercifully points out our sins when He deems we are ready and encourages us when we stumble. We are sinners and in this life we will have trials, but Jesus encourages us to "Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). The truth is we are children of the Living God! Godly encouragement will draw forth the true person within us, the person Christ is shaping us into day by day. Encouragement is a tool to help us become all that Christ intended us to be. It is a means of preaching the Gospel in little ways. As we encourage, we will see the world and others through the hope of the Gospel.
   As we encourage others and as we are encouraged, we will be more effective Christians within the body of Christ and in the world in which we live. I encourage you to become people of encouragement so that the light of Jesus Christ within us may shine brightly in the darkness of this world, transforming the darkness into light.