The Underestimated Value of Encouragement
By Tom Shanklin
I am blessed to have many encouragers in my life. My wife, my fellow ministers, and our partners are people who keep me going forward through their words and their actions. The word “encourage” means to make someone more determined, hopeful, or confident. We all need encouragement!
I think of one of my encouragers, someone I have known nearly all of my life. Each month, she sends Susan and me a word of encouragement. I’m not talking about shallow flattery. I’m talking about sincere, life-giving, bootstrap lifting, Holy Ghost anointed words that elevate our souls and give us strength and courage to keep going with the Gospel.
I remember when we transitioned from pastoral work into evangelistic ministry, she gave us a prophetic word from Isaiah, “Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.” Isaiah 54:2, 3, KJV.
Those words literally gave life and breath to our ministry.
I think of the many others who encourage us in the Lord as well—like Pastor Virgil Amundson of Shell Lake Full Gospel Church, who called me up at their annual missions conference and had the entire conference pray for our mission to Nepal, and Pastors Chris and Joyce Caugherty, who drove all the way across the state of Minnesota to attend our Missions Night here in Mankato, and many others who quietly support our ministry with their prayers and finances.
Sometimes we underestimate the power of encouragement. Once, when I was preaching about the Apostle Paul and all the great and mighty things that were accomplished through his ministry, a friend pointed out to me the key role of Barnabus. Barnabus encouraged Paul and brought him to Antioch to teach the believers there. From Antioch, Paul and Barnabus were sent forth by the church into the ministry that changed the world. As my friend reminded me, without Barnabus, there may not have been an Apostle Paul. Barnabus was focused on helping others to fulfill their destiny, and by doing that he achieved great things for the kingdom of God. I pray that we all can be a “Barnabus” to those around us.