A lot of people are scared today.
Not necessarily knocking knees, sweaty palms, and dilated pupils scared, but scared in less obvious ways. Call it fear. Call it dread. Call it low-level anxiety, the kind that seeps up onto the surface and prevents us from doing things that we should do. Or stops us from doing things that we used to do without any problem at all, like meeting new people, going to church, or having a hard conversation. But now we’re scared.
There’s all kinds of suggestions about why people are more fearful these days. The effects of social media. A world unsettled by regional wars. The lingering effects of the pandemic panics. A politically polarized society.
Whatever the precise causes, the effect is clear: a lot of people are scared today. Young people and middle-aged people and seniors and children—many of us are dealing with a fear that is often hard to shake off, a sometimes-paralysing anxiety.
This reality gives us a simple and essential ministry to one another: encouraging. You could say that we want to put the courage back into encouragement. That’s the simplest meaning of this upbuilding activity: to give courage to someone.
Your child is scared about going back to school on Monday, so you try to give her courage: “You’ve got this. You’re strong. You did so great last week.”
Your friend is fearful about getting test results from the doctor, so you attempt to stir up his pluck: “I’m sure it will be fine. If it was really serious, they would’ve called earlier.”
By our words we try to bolster their bravery, to firm up their resolution—to give courage. The ministry of encouragement is a Biblical thing to do. Paul tells us, “We urge you, brothers…encourage the fainthearted, help the weak” (1 Thess 5:14). God calls us to give gospel courage to those whose hearts are faint.
The converse of this, of course, is when we scatter barbs of discouragement: “Why would you even try to find a new job?” “He’s never going to change his ways.” “Don’t bother—what’s the point?” When our words are discouraging, we shouldn’t be surprised when people lose heart.
Ours is a far better task, and that is to reassure and inspire with the hope that is in Christ. It’s the kind of thing that God told Moses to do for Joshua when the Israelites were preparing to enter the Promised Land. Leading this cantankerous crowd into a country populated by warrior giants was no small task for Joshua. Stepping into Moses’s very large sandals was surely intimidating too.
So God said to Moses in Deuteronomy 3:28,
Charge Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he shall go over at the head of this people.
Joshua needed bolstering. Later on, God himself gave courage to his servant: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Josh 1:9).
It’s hard to imagine Joshua still trembling after God spoke such courage into his heart. This is direct, emphatic, and well-founded encouragement: The Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Joshua’s example demonstrates the nature of true Christian encouragement. It’s not an inspiration founded on human reasoning. God didn’t say, “You should be bold in battle, Joshua, because you have the military advantage of surprise.”
Or, “Fear not—your armies are more numerous than the Hivites and the Jebusites.”
This is what we tend to do, building another’s courage through a recitation of human factors. We list all the tangible reasons not to be afraid: “You’re strong.” Or, “You’ve done this before.” Or, “Nobody is out to embarrass you.” Or we point out the sheer illogic of fear: “Really, what are the odds of that [unnamed disaster] happening to you?”
Maybe there’s a time for the gentle reasoning away of irrational fear.
Even so, it is very hard to persuade someone to true peace. We have a better method because our courage is founded in the unchanging character of God. This is essentially the same message that God spoke to Joshua, only now its truth is richer in Christ: “The Lord your God is with you wherever you go. He is with you always, even to the end of the age.” By holding onto this truth we will have firm assurance.
Today or tomorrow, you might meet someone who is scared. Let your words of encouragement give them courage.
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