Over the years I have taken several spiritual gifts tests. One of the my gifts that always shows up in those tests is the gift of encouragement.
The Hebrew word for encourage in the Old Testament is 'amats' which means 'to be alert, physically or mentally.' The Greek word in the New Testament is 'parakaleo' which means 'to call near, to invite.'
The Webster definition for encourage is 'to inspire with courage, spirit or hope,' 'to spur on.'
When Betty and I meet with someone for pastoral counseling, encouragement is one of the things we try to do. No matter what the person is dealilng with, they usually need courage, spirit, hope and the ability to face their difficulties.
For a Christian, encouragement takes the form of 'being alert' to God's presence in the midst of their struggle. As fellow Christians, Betty and I encourage them to 'invite' the Holy Spirit to move in their lives and to give them the courage and the hope to struggle on.
Even with the gift of encouragement, I need encouragement in my own life from those who are close to me, especially Betty.
We strongly believe that we're all called to encourage one another.
5 comments:
Love this post! Being a pastor's wife, I completely understand how we desperately need to keep each other encouraged and uplifted in the Lord. He is our Comforter.
The willingness to encourage is the trait I value most in good leaders..your encouragement helped me to do some things I never felt I was able to do..thank you
Ah, just what I needed. :-)
Very good post.
~Lisa
What ever would I do without my main encouragers, Dan and Betty? You are both major blessings to my life. Keep up the good work and do not fear. He is aware of every deed of kindness and encouragment.
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