As I was looking at a calendar to make an appointment I noticed that September 12 was listed as “The National Day of Encouragement”.  I thought that was interesting, so I took to the internet to try and learn more.  Back in 2007, a group of students at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas came up with the idea.  It was first a statewide effort, and then later President George W. Bush made it a national holiday. With September 11, 2001 being such a dark day in American history, these young people wanted a way to counteract the sadness and grief of what had happened.   

Encouragement is something that we all need, and it’s something we can all give.  It doesn’t have to be expensive or lavish.  As Christians, we know the Bible is full of encouragement for ourselves, and it teaches us to be an encouragement to others. To encourage is to give support, confidence or hope to someone.  Some synonyms are to hearten, cheer, uplift, inspire or motivate.

There are many verses in the Bible that can encourage us, and we are blessed to have God’s word to turn to in time of need. In looking at Romans 15, there are at least three ways God encourages us, and in turn we can pass that on to others. We are blessed to have the scriptures for our learning. We can see examples from the life of Jesus and from the examples of OT saints and prophets of how we should live, and how we can encourage others to do the same.

We can see in this passage that God is a God of patience. Romans 15:5 says, “Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:” Patience is the ability to endure difficult situations or persons without giving in to anger or giving up hope.  Consolation refers to a person or thing providing comfort to someone who has suffered.  It’s offering things like comfort, compassion and pity. I’m so thankful that God is patient with me.  I struggle with being patient.  When I’m going through a trying time, I just want it over with as soon as possible.  We can be encouraged that God loves us and is patient with us, even when we don’t feel it’s deserved.  When we are aware of people going through a difficult situation we can encourage them by reminding them that God is there with them to give comfort.    We can show compassion during their time of suffering. 

Romans 15:13 tells us, “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”  God is a God of hope.  Hope means waiting for, looking for, or desiring something; a favorable and confident expectation.  One of the hardest things to deal with is a loss of hope.  Sometimes we encounter serious and difficult situations for ourselves or in the lives of those we love, and it can seem hopeless.  But God!  God gives us hope.  We have the ultimate hope of Heaven one day.  I saw an acronym for the word “ALIVE” which stands for Always Living In View of Eternity.  I really like that.  It gets my perspective back on track and reminds me that even though in this life we will have trials and tribulations, we know better days are ahead.    

The last thing I want to mention from this chapter is an encouragement found in verses 32-33 where Paul closes out by saying, “That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed. Now the God of peace be with you all.” God is a God of joy and peace. Joy is a lasting emotion that comes from trusting God’s promises.  It’s a fruit of the Spirit.  Paul wanted to come to his friends with joy, so that he could also be refreshed.  He wanted to encourage them, and it sounds like he also needed some encouragement.  Those of us in ministry need to remember to allow ourselves to be refreshed.  Often we are busy giving to others and we can neglect our own spiritual care. 

I’m so thankful for God’s peace.  We live in a world that is far from peaceful. We know that Jesus gives us peace, but not as the world gives.  It’s a peace in the midst of the storm.  It’s a peace that passes all understanding, and it guards our hearts and minds. 

This blog post may not get to you before September 12, but that’s okay.  As Christians we don’t have to wait for a National Day of Encouragement to receive inspiration from God’s word.  And we certainly don’t have to wait for a special day to pass that encouragement on to others in our circle of family, friends and co-workers.  I pray you will let God use you this week to encourage someone! 

-by Pam Konnerup