Encouragement’s Power

Encouragement’s Power


By Shirley Mitchell

“But your assistant, Joshua son of Nun, will enter it. Encourage him, because he will lead Israel to inherit it.”

Deuteronomy 1:38
“But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see.”

Deuteronomy 3:28



Are you down, my dear friend? Are you struggling with the cares and stresses of life? Or do you know someone who is discouraged? How does it feel to you when you have been down and someone has said just the right words, at the right time, with the right facial expressions or tone of voice that helped you to rise again? Do you remember the feeling of being recharged so you could face your situation?

Dictionary.com tells us that “encourage” can mean to inspire with courage, spirit, confidence, like a coach encourages us to keep running. It can also mean to stimulate by assistance and approval like a teacher encourages her students. Or it can mean to promote, advance, or foster like poverty encourages crime. Did you see in all three definitions for encouragement that it is the power to influence for good or bad?

I’ve been thinking a lot about the power of encouragement and building others up. Encouragement plays a significant role in the body of Christ. It is crucial to a healthy church. God’s Word tells us that it is every believer’s duty and not just the one who has received an extra measure through spiritual giftings.


In Deuteronomy 1:38 and 3:28, God tells Moses two distinct times to encourage his young apprentice Joshua. God had given Moses the assignment to lead the people out of Egypt, and He gave Joshua the assignment to lead the nation of Israel to inherit the land. Moses knew the difficulties of leading a nation that was prone to wander from her delivering God. Moses would not be there for Joshua when it was his time to lead, but his words would live on in Joshua’s memory. How many times do you think Joshua replayed over and over in his mind the fact that his mentor Moses, who met and heard from God regularly, believed that Joshua was the man to do this God-sized role? Joshua drew his strength from his God first but also from the man whom he admired and served for 40 years.


Some of us may have a Moses in our lives encouraging us, and some of us may not. However, all of us can be a Moses in the sense that we can listen to God’s voice for whom we are to encourage and strengthen. Maybe we haven’t known that person and served in ministry together for 40 years, but we know her and recognize God at work in her life. We have the power to influence her when we know she is headed in the right direction. We have the obligation to fortify her courage when we know she is doing the right thing. This is how we get to participate in the great adventure with God in others’ lives. We get to applaud them as they run the race heavenward to the prize set before them. We get to believe God will do mighty things in their lives. We fight the battle of this very discouraging world every time we sow into others’ truthful words that encourage them to keep pressing on.


My friend, this is a battle worth fighting. This is something that you and I can do. Let me ask you to take some time now and ask God whom you need to encourage. The method is between God and you – email, Facebook message, tweet, phone call, lunch, gift, or hallway conversation. The words are between God and you. Ask Him to give you both the words and the method and see the power of encouragement through your obedience. Then go one step further and ask God to give you more opportunities to encourage others. Your words matter. They have great power in the spiritual realm. So take some time to ponder the power of encouragement and how you can use it to impact the kingdom.


Pray with me: Father God, we praise You! Thank You for the people who have encouraged us for good. We know that You are the Giver of encouragement. Lord, reveal to us whom we are to encourage today and throughout the next week. Give us insight into what we should say. Help us to understand the power that we wield through encouragement. We often get caught in the busyness of life and forget that we can change the world by sowing strength and courage into others. Through our nudging and belief in them, they will believe You and act on their faith even though they cannot see the way. It’s in Your precious Son’s Name, Yeshua’s Name, we pray. Amen.

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