A Calling Without Limits
What if I told you there is a ministry opportunity with unending opportunities? There are no age limits to who can be a part of the team. No auditions or technical skills to learn because you are already equipped for it. Don’t worry about checking Planning Center because you’ll always be on. You’d be curious, right? Well, surprise - You have already been chosen for this ministry! This ministry is one of encouragement, and it matters to God; it’s a fundamental purpose of the Bible and makes a difference in the world around us.
To encourage someone is to inspire with hope, courage, and confidence. The Bible mentions encouragement as the word “parakalein.” This word can be translated as the call to come alongside. It can be seen as pouring courage into someone else. It’s a noble calling of believers to develop and practice this ministry, and we need to take this charge seriously.
Encouragement matters to God. In the Trinity, each member prioritizes encouragement, and encouragement is attributed to them. Paul reminds us of the Father in I Corinthians 1:3, saying, “He is the Father of mercies,” and the word used for mercies is “paraklesi.” God is the Father of encouragement! It’s who He is and what He does. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 reads, “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” Jesus gives us encouragement through what he does (loves us & gives grace), so we should be encouraged and strengthened. As for the Holy Spirit, “encourager” is one of His many names! In the Book of John, we are reminded “However when He the Comforter is come…” and the word used for Comforter is “paraklete,” again linking back to the root word, which means encourage. So when we’re encouraging others, we are living out a ministry of the Trinity!
The ministry of encouragement is a fundamental purpose of the Bible. Paul repeatedly reminds us that Scripture is for encouragement. In Romans 15:4-5, he told believers that what was written before, the Old Testament, was so that we could learn, develop patience, and have encouragement to hope. He instructs young pastors in 2 Timothy to be ready to preach the Word at all times for many reasons, one of which he cites as encouragement. Paul strengthens believers’ hope in heaven by reminding them of the future we have with Christ and implores people to encourage each other with truth found in the Word. The Bible gives us truth to encourage our hearts, helping us to draw on the past and apply it to present tasks, so that we can be hopeful for the future.
Why should we embrace this ministry of encouragement? It’s desperately needed in today’s world. Go out in public or look at your social media feed - do you think the world is overwhelmed with joy and peace? Saying no isn’t an indictment upon people, as life can be hard. Embrace the opportunity to meet people where they are, come alongside them, and fill them with genuine love, care, concern, and the hope of the Gospel.
As a member of the ministry of encouragement, prayerfully ask the Lord for ways to live it out! Give your focused attention to those around you, seeking opportunities to build up one another. Remember that it’s not about being a cheerleader or a nice person. It’s about living out the instruction in Hebrews 3:13 to “encourage one another daily, while it is still called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” It’s about walking each other home to Heaven and introducing people to the greatest encouragement humankind will ever know, which is the giving of Jesus to the world for our sins and redemption.