The Power of Encouragement

Key Thought: An Effective Leader is an Encourager.

Introduction

Encourage is defined as, "to inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence." The admonition to encourage others is repeated through out the Bible. Here are just a few examples:

    Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. 1 Thessalonians       5:11

    Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits          the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29

    Let us not give up meeting together but let us encourage one another all the more as we see the            day approaching. Hebrews 10:25

The Apostle Paul wrote letters to both Timothy and Titus to encourage them. Jesus encouraged his disciples by painting a picture of what they would become. I especially like Jesus' interactions with Paul. When Paul needed encouragement Jesus provided what he needed to continue on (Acts 18:9-11; 23:11) . The book of Revelation was written to encourage believers of all ages who were undergoing persecution. The book of Ephesians is filled with encouragement. In fact it would be no exaggeration to say that the Bible is a book of encouragement. If God is an encourager and those who have gone before us were encouragers certainly we as leaders must be encouragers. Dr. Larry Crabb defines encouragement as "the kind of expression that helps someone want to be a better Christian, even when life is rough." Sounds like a key leadership skill.

The Power of Encouragement

Many years ago I was reading a book on mentoring. Following the advice in the book I went to a young man and said the following, "I see great potential in you and I want to be the person in your life that helps you achieve that potential." The man broke down and cried. He was truly a gifted man. He went from being a security guard to a having PhD and teaching in a college and internationally. I did nothing except encourage him. I have seen this repeat over and over in the lives of many others. Encouragement is powerful. Similarly discouragement is powerful but in a negative direction. Do you wish to be an effective leader? You will become an effective leader when you become an encourager. Larry Crabb notes that encouraging words speak to a person's fears. He also differentiates between shallow words, death words and life words. Becoming a person who encourages others is a skill that can be learned. In the resource below Dr Crabb provides an excellent model for becoming an encourager. The resource will help you begin to develop the skill of encouragement. It is an essential leadership skill. Often when a ministry or a work team or a church is not doing well the root cause is that the leader does not have the skill of encouragement. Let me encourage you to read the resource below it will make you into an effective leader.

A Resource you Need

 Encouragement: The Unexpected Power of Building Others Up

                                                                                       by Dr Larry Crabb

Upcoming Seminar at the Ministry Training Center of Metro NY/NJ

Encouragement: A Biblical Skill for Leaders - May 12, 2018

For more information and to register please email: ministrytraining1224@gmail.com