Be An Encourager

It was the morning after President Abraham Lincoln had been assassinated. A crowd of 50,000 had gathered in front of the Stock Exchange building in New York City. Emotions were at a fever pitch and violence was on the verge of breaking out. Suddenly, an army officer stepped up to the balcony rail and with a voice that rang true like the clarion call of a thousand armies in a thousand lands said: "Fellow citizens! Clouds and darkness are round Him. His pavilion is dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies. Justice and judgment are the establishment of His throne. Mercy and truth go before His face. Fellow citizens! God reigns! And the Government at Washington still lives." Almost instantly emotions quieted as the crowd realized the importance of those words. That officer was Gen. James A. Garfield, a man who would become an elder in the Lord’s church and sixteen years later, a martyred president himself.

Each one of us has upon occasion felt frightened or helpless or even hopeless and needed encouragement. That needed encouragement can come from various sources. It may come from a family member or a friend or it may come from the words contained in a poem or book. For many and especially those who are His disciples, the Lord Jesus Christ is a great source of encouragement. During His thirty-three years on earth Jesus experience the same trials and temptations of life which are common to all men (Hebrews 4:15). He knew the pangs of hunger, the sorrow of grief, and the pain of betrayal. He knew the disappointment of denial, the frustration of false accusations, and the agony of suffering. Jesus experienced these things just as we often do and for this reason He is the perfect source of encouragement during those times.

Various times in the New Testament we read of Jesus offering words of encouragement to those who were enduring some trial or tribulation. In one instance, Jesus was taken to a bedridden paralytic. Jesus said to him, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you" (Matthew 9:1-8). It was believed that health problems were the result of the sins which one committed. We are told the man arose, took up his bed, and walked away. In another instance, Jesus had sent His disciples ahead to cross over the Sea of Galilee while he went to pray. During their journey a wind arouse which tossed the boat on the sea. In the midst of the storm and darkness, the disciples saw a figure walking toward them on the sea. They feared a ghost but then heard the words of their Master, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid" (Matthew 14:22-33). Finally, when Jesus was giving His last discourse to His disciples, He tells them that he must leave them. He concludes His messages by saying that in the world they would have tribulation; "but be of good cheer" for he had overcome the world (John 16:33). In each case Jesus had provided what was needed to give encouragement. One required the fulfillment of a physical need, another, the nearness of a friend, and the third, words of encouragement. Jesus knew exactly what was needed and provided it.

Christ no longer walks as a man here on earth, but his followers do. As disciples of Jesus, God uses you and I as encouragers (Acts 4:36; 2 Corinthians 1:3,4). By following the example of Jesus of providing for the physical needs, by just being near, or through kind words you and I can be an encouragement to the suffering. In the face of what could have developed into a chaotic situation, James Garfield stood and with words taken from God’s Holy Scriptures offered encouragement to those who despaired. What about you? Will you be an encourager?