Courage to be Encouraging-by Heidi McLaughlin
Posted: April 7, 2025
Consider this. Your three-year-old son is working up courage to ride his two-wheeler. You’re holding onto him and also running behind him to “encourage” him to have the courage. These two words are deeply interconnected, and each playing a vital role in helping each other to overcome challenges, grow and flourish. Courage is the inner strength that pushes us to step into our fear, uncertainly or discomfort and take risks.
Courage often needs an external supportive force.
This is where God, you and I come in. The Bible tells us in many places to “encourage one another.” It says: “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just in fact you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). Like gigantic trees whose roots intertwine and hold each other up, we are created in Christ to play that same role. Our courage first comes from God and the Holy Spirit that lives inside of us, and we pass that Holy Spirit to others when they feel discouraged or defeated.
The Holy Spirit is the force behind the courage.
When someone is encouraged they feel empowered because they feel seen and heard. This boosts their confidence and propels them to take a bold step forward. So how we give courage to encourage?
- Sometimes all we need is to be heard. Which helps the person to be understood, valued and affirmed. Not judged. Active listening creates a place of safety and trust
- Words of affirmation. Sometimes we think we have to make these grand gestures to foster courage. But often it just takes a word of affirmation and acknowledging their strengths. Sometimes all it takes is: “I believe in you.”
- Reframe fear. A lot of fear is just anticipation of something bad. Help them “change the channel” and anticipate something new, and exciting.
Then perhaps share your own story of how you stepped into your fear. How it actually was not as bad as you anticipated. And how God opened doors you could not even have imagined.
Life offers so many wonderful opportunities and we need wisdom AND courage to open the doors and step into them. It helps when we have someone alongside us to help us find our way. Encouragement is not just a small act of kindness; it may literally change someone’s life.
