ENCOURAGEMENT-03 (Numbers 32:6-7)

ARE YOU AN ENCOURAGER OR DISCOURAGER?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
Moses said to the Gadites and Reubenites, “Should your fellow
Israelites go to war while you sit here? Why do you discourage
the Israelites from crossing over into the land the Lord has given
them?
(Numbers 32:6-7)

MEDITATION:
“Looking out for number one” is an old saying, but its sentiment
is as popular as ever. We have been taught that “we can have it
our way”, and that “we deserve a break today”.

Too often we, as Christians, can be subtly sucked into thinking
about ‘self’ with little, or no regard for others. As followers of
Jesus, we must remember that every believer is part of the
Church Body, and it is important for us to consider how our
individual actions affect others.

This selfish mentality is not a new problem. The Reubenites,
the Gadites and half the tribe of Manasseh liked the look of
the land east of the Jordan, which was suitable for livestock.
Consequently, their request to stay there seemed reasonable.

But Moses was aware of the effect it would have on Israel
if they stayed.
    “Shall your countrymen go to war while you sit here?
     Why do you discourage the nation?”
     (Numbers 32:6-7)

To their credit, when reminded of similar past situations,
and how their current actions would affect others, these
tribes chose not to be discouragers. Although their families
and livestock remained, the men left their comfort zone and
went to war with the rest of Israel.

Too often there are some in the church who think of themselves,
and fail to realize how their choices might discourage others. We
may ask,
    “What actions of mine discourage others?”

First of all, we discourage others whenever we are inconsistent
in our worship and obedience to the Lord. Other believers look
to us and our relationship with the Lord as an encouragement
to them. When we give them reasons to wonder, or doubt their
own faith, we can become a discouragement to them.

Remaining faithful and obedient to the Lord can be a daunting
challenge, and if we fail to ‘stay in touch’ with Him, we not only
damage our own relationship with Him, but we can also become
a discourager to our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Let’s be honest, Satan has shown how he can be relentless in his
efforts to lure us away from the Lord, and to render us ineffective
in becoming servants of God. More than likely all of us have some
weakness that is difficult for us to overcome. We may know that
our actions are not in alignment with God’s guidelines, and as a
result, we concoct all kinds of reasons to justify our actions (and
sometimes we decide that it may be wrong, but we are going to do it
anyway, because we want to).

Not only can we be a discouragement to other believers when our
disobedience is obvious, but we could be one of the reasons a lost
person is not interested in a relationship with the Lord. Why?
Because when they see us doing something that they consider to
be a sin, they have trouble believing our faith is sincere.

Paul realized how important his actions were, and the impact he
could have on others. Paul’s attitude was, even if it wasn’t a sin,
but another person viewed it as sin, he would choose to abstain
from it. Why? So he would not be a discouragement to believers
and those who had not yet believed. We can see Paul’s sensitivity
to how others can be influenced in a negative way by the actions
of Christians.
    It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do
    anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.
    (Romans 14:21)

Other believers need to know of our consistency in our worship
attendance. Even if we cannot attend due to sickness, or if our
immune system has been compromised in some way, we can still
participate in worship, and stay in contact with our Christian
brothers and sisters in other ways.

Some may not be able to attend due to their treatment of cancer or
other deadly diseases, and some cannot attend because they have
a physical disability, but many churches broadcast their services, so
there are still ways for listening to God’s messengers without the risk
of causing injury to themselves, or contracting a virus that might be
life-threatening. In addition, people at risk can obey God’s command
to tithe, by mailing or taking their tithes to the church.

Another way we can discourage other believers is by the things we say.
In our selfishness, we can say harsh and rude things to others in the
church, which can crush their spirit. Some can become condescending
of others when they get the idea that they are more religious than other
Christians. This is a vicious ‘tool’ used by Satan to disrupt the fellowship
of believers, and to cause pride and egotism to seize control of the thoughts
and actions of some who are followers of Jesus.

We only need to look at the One we worship and follow, to be reminded
of the sinfulness of this attitude in believers. God and His Son, do not
show any favoritism, and we shouldn’t either. However, if we consider
ourselves ‘better than’ other Christians, we are showing favoritism to
ourselves. God’s Word clearly explains that we are all sinners, so we
should never think more highly of ourselves than we do of others.
    Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with
    Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the
    Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete
    by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and
    of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.
    Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to
    your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
    (Philippians 2:1-4)

Not only can we break the spirit of others by what we say,
but we can also be a discourager to brothers and sisters in
Christ when we fail to listen. If we choose not to listen to
another believer (or anyone else), we are sending a message
that whatever they have to say is not important (which means
they are unimportant to us).

How do others react when we show this type of attitude toward
them? They usually ‘shut down’ and no longer make an attempt
to talk to us. Instead, they will seek out others who will listen
and be an encourager to them. God expects followers of Jesus
to be encouragers, and not discouragers of others (and especially
our brothers and sisters in Christ).
    Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good
    to all people, especially to those who belong to the
    family of believers.
    (Galatians 6:10)

Some may get the idea that others are anxiously awaiting to hear
everything they have to say (which is an indication of egotism). The
truth is, others may only be patiently listening out of their respect
for us, even when we are saying things that might be boring to them.
Respect is act of kindness, which is a fruit of the Spirit.
    But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
    forbearance (ie. being patient and forgiving),
    KINDNESS, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness
    and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
    (Galatians 5:22-23)

ACTION:
Did Jesus listen to others? Of course He did! And He listened
even while He was busy fulfilling God’s will for His life. When
a woman touched His garment in a crowd, Jesus was not too busy
to notice her and her needs.

Even though Zacchaeus was despised by others, Jesus considered
him important because he was one of God’s creations. Not only
did Jesus speak to him while He was in a crowd and busy about
obeying God’s mission for Him, but He also went to his house.

How did the words and actions of Jesus impact Zacchaeus? He
knew he was despised by others as a result of his sinful actions
of cheating them out of their possessions and money, but after
his encounter with Jesus, the scriptures tell us of his new attitude:
    But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord,
    “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my
     possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated
     anybody out of anything, I will pay back four
     times the amount.”
     (Luke 19:8)

If we are sincere followers of Jesus, then we should strive to
develop His attributes in our lives. This means we should
choose our words wisely, and show interest and concern for
others by being respectful and patient listeners.

We can choose to be an encourager or a discourager. We can
lift the spirits of others, or devastate their self-esteem by the
things we do and say. If we are guilty of putting our interests
first, we can be (and most likely will be) a discouragement to
others. The scriptures remind us to:
    Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.
    Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,
    not looking to your own interests but each of you
    to the interests of the others.
    (Philippians 2:3-4)

The choice is ours. Choose to be an encourager! As followers
of Jesus, we should have a ‘spirit-filled’ desire to consciously
and consistently be an encourager to others with our words
and actions. We should be willing to make sacrifices of our
own time in order to encourage someone else. If we want to
be encouraged, then we need to encourage others. Jesus gave
us instructions to:
    Do to others as you would have them do to you.
    (Luke 6:31)

Can you recall a time (or times) when you made a special effort
to encourage someone. Have you ever wondered why someone
came to your mind ‘out of the blue’? How did you handle it?

Did you have a thought like, “I wonder if God placed them on
my mind, because He has heard their prayer, knows their needs,
and wants to encourage them through me”? If so, did you react
immediately, or did you decide you would ‘do something’ later,
but never got around to it?

Maybe you thought, “He (or she) is an upbeat, happy person
who has it all together, and doesn’t need any encouragement”.
Never forget, there are people who are hiding their pain,
their struggles, and their need for encouragement behind
their smiles, and lightheartedness.

Remember, God can see when others are hurting and He calls
on us to be His conduit for answering their tearful prayers of
desperation. It is a special time when He calls on us. We get an
opportunity to ‘answer His call’, so we should take it seriously.

It may be an act of compassion and concern that helps someone
else (whether we know it or not), but it is also an opportunity for
us to grow spiritually. It is literally a win-win situation! How long
has it been since you sent someone a text or email, or gave them a
phone call for the purpose of giving them some encouraging words?

When you do, remember that sometimes those who need it the most,
may not respond. Why? Probably because they are overwhelmed by
your unexpected compassion that was an answer to their prayer, and
they don’t know what to do or say in response.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, make me aware of my selfishness and
how I can discourage others through my words and actions.
Teach me the importance of valuing others ahead of myself
so I can become the encourager You want me to be. Thank
You for encouraging me with Your blessings, and help me
to allow the attitude of Jesus to flow through me. Remind
me that what others have to say is important to them, and
help me to become more of a listener than a talker.”

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