“I also could speak like you, if you were in my place; I could make fine speeches against you and shake my head at you. BUT MY MOUTH WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU; COMFORT FROM MY LIPS WOULD BRING YOU RELIEF (comfort).” (Job 16:4-5)
Job’s friends were repeatedly reminding him how wrong he must be to be going through the suffering he was dealing with. They had NO WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR HIM. Job states that he could speak in the same way if the roles were reversed, but that he would not. HE WOULD SPEAK WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT AND COMFORT STRIVING TO EASE THEIR SUFFERING.
The world loves to step on a person when he is down. When a person has fallen a little in some area of his life, the world’s way is to point out more wrongs and continually keep him down. So called friends just love to point out where he went wrong reminding him that’s why he is suffering…
People of the world will treat others this way, because THAT IS WHAT THE DEVIL WANTS US TO DO.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…” (John 10:10), anyone he can. He wants to destroy any hope or belief that we may have. Destruction of the progress in a person’s life is important to the devil.
It is easy to do things as the world does. It is easy to point out faults and wrongs in a person, and cut them down while their already down. HOWEVER, THAT IS NOT WHAT WE AS BELIEVERS SHOULD BE DOING.
Jesus said that He was sent to declare the good news. THAT GOOD NEWS IS: GOD LOVES PEOPLE AND WANTS TO SAVE THEM. Jesus did not come to condemn us or sit and point out all of our faults. He builds us up with love and compassion.
As believers, we should be seeking to do the same. Building one another up is done with encouragement, rather than pointing out faults.
As believers, we are supposed to be doing things just like Jesus would do them.
What kinds of words are we speaking? Are they words like the friends of Job, cutting down, condemning, and destroying? OR ARE THEY WORDS LIKE JESUS,
LOVING, CARING, FULL OF COMPASSION AND BUILDING UP?
Be an encourager…Bill Stockham