What is encouragement and how can we provide this as leaders in our community? The word is defined as: “giving someone confidence and courage to do something.”1 For the believing community, that encouragement must come from somewhere other than oneself. Proper encouragement, from the biblical perspective, is trusting in God and relying on the Holy Spirit to be bolder in living out their faith in the community, the family, or the workplace.2
Personally, I find highly stressful situations encouraging. Typically, I thrive in situations where most of the decision-making takes place. This is where I feel most encouraged, and not because I like making decisions, I do not. I tend to make the better ones, and that separates me from the pack; “The least effective decision-makers are the ones who constantly make decisions. The effective ones make very few.”3 I strive in high competition or in situations that have high octane-intensive ramifications.
When the stress or pressure is on, I feel I am the person who needs to produce, this creates conflict. The conflict in itself is encouraging to me. It is at this point that my reliance on God is strongest. “Conflict is one of the many tools that God will use to help you develop a more Christ-like character. To begin with, he may use conflict to remind you of your weaknesses and to encourage you to depend more on him (2 Cor. 12:7–10). The more you rely on his grace, wisdom, and power, the more you will be imitating the Lord Jesus (Luke 22:41–44).”4 This is odd to most people who are fearful or find highly stressful situations discouraging. I understand this intimidation but the correct way to view difficult situations is perfect for our relationship with Christ. Our weakness is His strength; “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9).5 We should look upon our weakness as encouragement in Christ, that strengthens us. This should be the model for how we encourage others through difficult times.
I tend to invest most of my encouragement in people during the review and training stages of engagement. Here I feel that I can have the greatest impact on their performance as well as point them in the right direction that is best suited to their spiritual gifts. First of all, training is vital to encouragement. Leith Anderson writes in response to volunteerism in the Church; “When challenged to be engaged in doing ministry, the laity are responding with enthusiasm and effectiveness if the institutional environment is supportive, if the appropriate training experiences are offered, and if that particular challenge matches the passions, the gifts, and the skills of that particular volunteer.”6 Proper research and development invested in the individual is encouragement unto itself. It shows the person he/she is important and needed. It gives them self-worth and self-esteem. It shows them the organization values their input. Secondly, once the training is established, the review process shows the volunteer or staffer his/her improvement. Here is where positive or negative reinforcement can be encouraging. Even if the review shows a decline, this can be a pivotal point where direction is needed. Knowing that you are heading in the wrong direction and given the ability to turn it around is encouraging, even though the pretense might be negative. Once again, I go back to the power of weakness and how God intended this for our lives. Knowing our weakness is an encouragement of its own reward.
I need to rethink my team-building motivation. Typically, I have built good teams by competition. I have built walls between the teams and pitted them against each other allowing them to strive and excel. This has been fairly successful for me in the private sector; however, this is not the best way to tackle situations from a holistic perspective. It pushes out others and focuses on the few. In some cases, it causes even the leaders not to depend on each other but only on those who can perform. In ministerial settings, this lacks compassion and love for all those who participate. On the contrary, “you encourage your teams to depend on each other. You discourage individuals from becoming territorial. You erase the hard lines that exist between departments.”7 This promotes unity and togetherness. As we are many parts, we are one Church, one body (1 Corinthians 12).
There is a great need for encouragement in faith-based communities. I postulate that a good and sound theological base for encouragement is necessary for instilling the best motivation for those people that you encourage. True encouragement comes from our belief that Christ is needed to live out our lives with success. This should be at the root of our motives. We need to encourage others to seek the Lord in completing the tasks that are set before us.
Bibliography
Anderson, Leith. Leadership That Works: Hope and Direction for Church and Parachurch Leaders in Today’s Complex World. Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House, 2000.
Drucker, Peter Ferdinand, and Frances Hesselbein. Managing the Non-Profit Organization: Practices and Principles. New York: Harper, 2010.
Manser, Martin H. Zondervan Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies. Grand Rapids, MI: ZondervanPublishingHouse, 1999.
Sande, Ken. The Peacemaker: a Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2004.
Stanley, Andy, Reggie Joiner, and Lane Jones. 7 Practices of Effective Ministry. Sisters, Or.: Multnomah Publishers, 2004.
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