Encouraging Others

 People need encouragement. This is especially true when they are suffering and experiencing grief. If we want to help them, we will not make them feel worse by pointing out their failings. We should point out the good things about their situation, so they will have hope.

Job's friends were not good comforters. In fact, they made him feel much worse by the things they told him. (Job 16:5) Job's response was to tell them that if it were him, he would encourage them. He would try to take their grief away. I believe Job is exactly right about what their approach should have been.

We all fall short. We all make mistakes and make wrong choices. When we are hurting and grieving, we don't need someone to point out our sins. We should just think about that and be uplifting to those with whom we speak when they are in pain.

What others need in those hard times are words that point to the goodness of God, the love of God, and the grace of God toward us. We need to show them that God cares, even if they are not feeling it at that moment. We need to encourage them to continue to trust God and not to give up on Him. Let them know that He will help in His timing as we rely on Him.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Job 17-20.