It’s Good to Encourage Others

In a land where poetry and song were treasured, the queen of Sheba’s words poured out like music, captured in 1 Kings 10:8: “How happy your people must be!”

Because she marveled at the thought of being led by a wise king like Solomon, Sheba praised his people for having that honor. She also understood the subtle difference between praise and encouragement. Praise says, “You did a good job!” It’s the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae. Encouragement says, “You can do a good job because ______!” It’s the first scoop of ice cream, the foundation that supports everything else.

Encouragers focus on the positive. They seek goodness. They look to God. And they know their calling, their spiritual gifting. Although Paul’s letter to the Romans was written a thousand years after Sheba’s reign, she fully embodied three spiritual gifts described in Romans 12:8: “If it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently.”

Not all encouragement is as genuine as Sheba’s. Sometimes compliments come from people who want something from us. Their language smacks of insincerity—or worse, duplicity. Their words are suspect, their actions dubious, their approach manipulative. We brush off their false praise and wait for the request that’s sure to follow.

But Sheba the wealthy and powerful had nothing to gain by praising Solomon. Her encouragement was offered without guile or pretense, free of any hidden agenda.

Sheba’s good intentions make me question my reasons for dishing out praise. Do I lift up others with no thought of how it might benefit me? Or am I secretly hoping they’ll return the favor? Or (ugh) do I believe making them look good will somehow make me look good?

This we know: True encouragement flows from the heart of God, as we learn in Psalm 10:17: “You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry.” The Lord shows us how it’s done, and then He calls, equips, and empowers us to do the same.

We’re all called to encourage one another. How can those who aren’t spiritually gifted in this area manage so vital a task?

In what circumstances do you find it challenging to offer encouraging words?

What would happen if you made a concerted effort to do so, even in that setting?