Have you ever been on the receiving end of someone’s words of encouragement?  

Have you ever experienced the fullness, even overflow, that can come from them?  You can feel so “filled up” that you cannot help but want to pass on similar words to those around you.

I love the scriptures that reminds us of the importance of this concept.  

“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.” (Prov 3:27 ESV)  

“If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is a sin for them.”(James 4:17 NIV)  I believe our words of encouragement could fall into this category.  

Our church is going through the New City Catechism curriculum.  I appreciate their response and perhaps different insight to one of the Ten Commandments.    They have flipped this particular commandment, and shed light on what the “do” should look like as well.    

Question 11:  What does God require in the eighth commandment?

Answer: Eighth, that we do not take without permission that which belongs to someone else, nor withhold any good from someone we might benefit.  

It can be easy for me to look at the Ten Commandments and interpret them as a long list of “don’ts”.  When I do this, I am completely missing the point.  The purpose of the law or the Ten Commandments is to open our eyes to our inability to keep them, to show us our desperate need of a Savior.  When I recognize my inability, I draw to Him, more aware of my ineptness but His sufficiency.  

Why do we withhold our words that have the potential to breathe life into another’s soul? 

I think there are several reasons…

1. We are too busy, or at least I think I am too busy.  

We can rush by the moment of noticing an act of kindness or watching another excel at a particular task, and being struck by the “good” of what they are doing. It can be easy for me to just keep going, to blow by the opportunity to offer these words to them, thinking what I need to accomplish has more value than stopping to offer my words as a gift.  The scripture above is pretty clear to me about this….”do not withhold good”….”if I know the good, and do not do it, it is a sin.”

2. We think the “gift of encouragement” is not our gifting.  

What great news it is to hear that our God is in the business of remaking us!  

“I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”  (Gal 2:20) 

“Remember not the former things, no consider the things of old.  Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (Is 43:18-19a)

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Cor 5:17)

3. We are too competitive with each other.  

This one can be harder to swallow.  I wonder if women struggle with this more than men?  There can seem to be this uncommunicated battle to “be better” than the woman, wife, or mom next to us.  If I offer words of encouragement, am I possibly admitting their superiority over me?

We must retrain our minds!  This mindset can be deadly!  This is a direct tool of the enemy of our souls to breed divisiveness. 

“To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”  (Eph 4:22-24)

Riding on Words

So, how about you?  How long do you ride on someone’s words of encouragement?  Days….a week or two perhaps?

“But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception” (Heb 3:13 HCSB)

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up…” (1 Thes 5:11a)

“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.” (Eph 4:29) 

Let us allow this to sink in and ask the Lord to do a heart level transformation. Asking Him to allow us to naturally see His gifts in others.  

Let’s not stop there though, as we witness these gifts in others, may we make it a priority to share it with them.  I think we all may be surprised in how the Lord may use our words to build others up.  Blessings as we contemplate and practice this lost art in His strength!

References:

New City Catechism