Encouragement is one of the main reasons we are to meet together. Yet, encouragement has been watered down by popular usage to mean anything that makes another person feel good. This trivialization is tragic, for what is actually left out is the power of placing courage into one another.

A lot of things are called encouraging in the popular sense of the word that do not instill courage. But encouragement, the reason for meeting regularly (Hebrews 10:25), is much more critical to getting the work of God done through the obedience of His people than to make people merely feel good. In a moment you will realize just how much we have weakened the process of encouragement.

Simply put, the command of Scripture is that Christians are to place courage inside of one another for doing the assignments of God. If you look at the word, this will become clear. "En" means "to put into". "Courage" means "having the attitude and responding to things that are dangerous, difficult or painful and not withdrawing from such things." As Christians we are to put courage into one another for things righteous, which clearly means the assignments of God.

Can you see why we must return to this basic definition of the command to encourage one another? Can you understand how critical it is to remove encouragement from the "feel good" category of human interaction? How else will we Christians regain our bravery? How else will we help one another do the difficult things of life, things like helping our spouses grow in Christ in the areas they least want to face and yet have so much to gain if they do so, even though the interactions might turn defensive and uncomfortable? How else will we Christians love the unlovely or witness to the unreceptive who have just as much a right to hear the gospel as those who are easy to talk to?

I have heard that Europe was won to Christ by the black plague. Only Christians were willing to stay in the cities with those who had the plague and would likely die. Only one-third survived, but with each other's encouragement Christians stayed with the sick and led many to Christ. In turn, two-thirds of the Christians also died. But they were given courage by the power of the Spirit of God and the encouragement of God's people. In the end, almost all who survived in the great cities of Europe were Christians. God used the plague and the encouragement by His people to bring a whole continent to Himself.

Where are the powerful Christians today? They are all around us, but without courage they will do only those things that are pleasant and safe. Our strength needs encouragement to get us off of our easy chairs and on to our assignments from God, which, because they come from Him, are bound to be BIG assignments. That's why God tells us clearly to be continually encouraging one another at each and every one of our meetings together.

How can this encouragement best be done? There are many things that can empower people. A stirring sermon can inspire courage. But Scripture seems to place most emphasis on interaction between God's people for the instilling of courage. Encouraging is best done face-to-face. It is rarely done by strangers. It is often done among people who "are in it together", whether the "it" is spiritual warfare, teaching teenagers in Sunday school, or church leadership, to name just a few.

Encouragement is whatever places courage into another person so that he or she goes out in the power of the Lord to do great things for God. Since each of us is different, there is not just one thing that works. The more we know one another the more we know what will place courage into another. Once we know another and his or her assignments from God, then we can try different encouraging actions.

In congregational fellowship and larger groups of Christians, encouragement is possible but more difficult on the individual level. A parenting workshop can encourage a father to lead his family more lovingly or firmly. The knowledge about how to do something can also be encouraging. But, unfortunately, knowledge rarely overcomes the resistance to doing those things that are truly brave. Yet it might begin with the imparting of knowledge regarding what God wants done and how to go about it. But most seminar leaders know that the attrition rate will be very high among those who are motivated when they leave the educational experience. Add accountability with the promise of approval and celebration and results soar.

There are other things that can be encouraging in larger groups of Christians. They cannot all be listed here. But in congregational fellowship, Christians can encourage one another as they openly go about their tasks from God. Individuals can encourage others to better perform their roles of father, mother, daughter or son by setting the example. Knowing others have done something and survived to talk about it can greatly encourage. Testimonial times in larger fellowships can have this result. Even brief encounters can be used to encourage others. Instead of a quick, "How are you?" a person could say instead, "I heard you're going to be working with the teens. I know you'll do a very good job!"

Yet ongoing and lasting encouragement, especially for the very most difficult assignments from God, can best be done in small group community. The closeness of small group community allows people to know the really hard, scary and repulsive things that people will be facing in the next week or two. This allows in-depth encouragement to take place. Group members should inquire about the difficult things people will be facing so they can offer specific kinds of encouragement. The added time in small group community allows for deeper forms of encouragement such as recounting successes in similar situations, giving feedback on strengths to draw upon and weaknesses to watch out for, sharing of biblical truth that is relevant and specific prayers for obedience and courage.

Actually, the process of encouragement begins with identifying God's assignments for each Christian. The intimate knowledge that small group members acquire of one another over time allows them to see God's assignments for others. Often group members cannot see their own assignments or they avoid them because of perceived difficulty. Thus it is very important for the small group to set aside significant time to explore together the assignments God appears to have given each group member.

Once assignments are identified, the group can go on to place courage into each other so that God is obeyed and glorified. The group can bring up these assignments and supply the courage members need to "get on with the program."

1. Why do you think that Hebrews 10:25 mentions this one thing, encouragement, rather than others after the command to meet together often and regularly?

2. Is encouragement always going to be an enjoyable thing, by our definition of the concept? (Encouragement is placing courage into one another to do the assignments of God.)

3. A lot of things are usually thrown in when people commonly speak of encouragement that are not really placing courage into another person. We stick to a pretty narrow definition so that the word "encouragement" has significant meaning. What are some of the things that people call encouragement that do little or nothing in the way of placing courage into one another?

4. Discuss as many ways to encourage as you can identify.

Here is an incomplete list of things that encourage. After your group has created its own list, you can read or study the following list. If your group comes up with some new ones, why not email those to us?

1. Reminding each other of God's many ways of providing for success in their tasks is critical to biblical encouragement. Pointing out Scriptures that promise victory in obedience, or even success, can be encouraging.

2. Accurate feedback regarding a person's abilities and similar successful actions and accomplishments in the past can be very reassuring and encouraging. People can believe in themselves in the sense of who God has created them to be and how He has worked through them in the past.

3. Reminding the person of the critical nature of the assignment from God can encourage. Pointing out Scriptures that show the criticality of the assignment can spur people on to action.

4. Backing the person up with prayer in the small group and during the week can be most encouraging. Some groups actually lay hands on and commission group members for major tasks assigned by God.

5. Committing to go with the person or do it with the person can often supply that little extra courage needed.

6. Helping a person think how to do something can encourage. Discussing, correcting and affirming the course of action can overcome reticence to obedience.

7. Role-playing the situation until the person is confident places courage into another.

8. Strong belief that the assignment is from God can create courage in another to do it.

9. Belief in the person's obedient heart or ability to obey with God's help can encourage.

10. Belief in God's power to accomplish his assignments through the Christian sister or brother can certainly encourage.

11. Relatively calm assurance while discussing the assignment can communicate trust in God to do His part and in the person to carry out the assignment. The lack of anxious concern encourages.

12. Pointing out that the worst thing that can happen is death, believe it or not, is encouraging because death has been conquered by Jesus Christ.

13. Talking about how the worst outcomes can be handled can overcome fears of action and encourage.

14. It encourages to point out others of similar stature who have done similar assignments from God. Confident Christians can benefit from the example of Bible heroes. Those less confident might not be so encouraged, not seeing themselves in the "same league".

15. Lending a vision is encouraging. Lending a vision can take the form of an "If...then" statement. Here is an example: "If you talk to your mother about salvation in Christ, she might accept Christ and that would be the first step of God's healing process for your whole family."

16. Wanting heavenly rewards for the person with the assignment from God can encourage if such wishes are put into words.

17. Acting like the work of the kingdom is much more important than enjoyment of the world and acting like life really does go on after death can provide courage to act.

18. The group and those Christians who do not have to have safety, comfort and pleasure when there is something to be done for the Kingdom are powerfully encouraging as examples of bravery for the faith.

19. Showing how the Lord will be glorified by obedient action can and should encourage.

20. Showing how the church and people will be benefitted can supply the courage to act.

21. Setting deadlines and establishing regular accountability can encourage and motivate brave action.

1. Go around the group and deal with one group member at a time. Have that group member list the assignments he or she knows he or she has from God. As they are mentioned, ask the group member to state how he or she thinks he or she is doing on each assignment on a scale from one to ten. Then have the rest of the group tell that person assignments they think he or she has that were not mentioned. Then the group asks the person to name the three assignments for which he or she has the least courage. You've got it -- the group then places courage into the person for those three things. After doing some of the things that places courage into the person, pray for him/her.

Then go on to the next person.

This process could take a portion of time of many group sessions.