Everyone Needs an Encourager

Chapter 1 – What the world needs now

“I believe that one of the greatest needs of our day is encouragement”

- Bill Wellons

Everyone could do better if they had some more encouragement! For most people, life seems to be bombarded with complaints, criticism and negative attitudes. This can easily erode the joy from life and cause us to feel tired, weary and downcast. That’s why, what the world needs now is more encouragers.

Encouragers are the people that are committed to enlarging the lives of others. They seem to know exactly what to do, to help us up when we feel discouraged and lack the motivation to go on.

The power of encouragement to improve any situation is all around us. Think about the tired athlete as he approaches the final 100 meters of the race. Exhausted as he may be and tempted to collapse, his body is immediately infused with a burst of energy as he sees a familiar face calling his name, or hears the voice of onlookers cheering him on. Also, think about the father who commends his son on a job well done and how that simple act is worth more to that little boy than all the money in the world. What about the wife, who stands by her husband in the midst of his life-threatening illness and the positive impact her care, concern and love has on his will to live. Then there is the mother, that is trying to make ends meet and just when she feels like giving up some “Good Samaritan” provides some hope through a random act of kindness.

Most of us can narrate instances both personal and otherwise of the positive effect of encouragement on the human will. One such example, was provided in the New York Times (September 20, 2000), about an incident that occurred in the Sydney Olympic Games. Eric “The Swimmer” Moussambani of Equatorial Guinea was an unlikely contender in the 100-meter men’s freestyle. Although he had only learned to swim the previous January, and never raced more than 50-metres, he was allowed to participate in the Olympic event by special invitation of the International Olympic Committee under a program that permits poorer countries to participate, although their athletes don’t meet the usual standards. A rare turn of events occurred in the heat for Eric’s race, the other two swimmers were disqualified due to false starts and he was forced to swim alone.

After the first few minutes of the heat, it was clear to all onlookers that Eric’s form was unorthodox; he never put his head under the water’s surface and struggled frantically to stay afloat. With only 10-metres left to the wall, he virtually came to a stop. Some persons even feared that he may have drowned! Even though his time was too slow to qualify for the next level of competition the capacity crowd at the Olympic Aquatic Center stood to their feet and cheered the swimmer on. After what seemed like an eternity, the African swimmer reached the wall and held on for dear life. When he finally caught his breadth and regained his composure, the French speaking Moussambani said through an interpreter, “I want to send hugs and kisses to the crowd. It was their cheering that kept me going”. I am sure that all of us have felt like Eric at some time and it was only the cheers of others that kept us going.

Also, in today’s world of increasing uncertainty, tight deadlines and high expectations people find themselves constantly worrying about one thing or another. The list of things we can be worried about is endless: your appearance, career, exams, ill health, children, etc. In severe cases, prolonged worry can lead to depression, a major health threat in the world today. The World Health Organization indicates that globally more than 350 million people of all ages suffer with depression. Depression can also lead to ill health and suicide in some cases. In this “world of worry”, we need people to make us laugh, smile and see the brighter side of life. We need encouragers to help lift those heavy burdens to see the positive amidst negative situations. The scriptures tell us in Proverbs 12:25 “worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up”. While this may not necessarily take your troubles away it definitely helps to make the process a lot more enjoyable.

So great is the need for encouragement, that God made available to the world a unique “Gift of Encouragement” so that every day and in practical ways we can demonstrate His love to each other. Love is fundamental to the well-being of every person and is the central message of the bible (John 3:16). This “Gift of Encouragement” provides the church with the opportunity to be an “Encouragement Zone” where people can be re-energized through praise, worship, conversation and actions.

The joy and blessing of encouraging others, however is not limited to the church but to anyone with a genuine love and concern for others. Everyone can do something to make the world a better place. Through your simple words and caring actions you can help brighten someone’s day or possibly keep them from giving up. Join with me in learning how you can become a more encouraging person.