GREAT THINGS ENTERPRISE
CLAUDE BLACK
Mark 5:36
The Importance of Encouragement
Encouragement plays a powerful role in personal growth, healing, and self-reliance. It’s important, then, to know how to give and receive encouragement.
The Old Testament Patriarch Abram grew old and had no heir, so it appeared that his great wealth would transfer to his chief of staff, Eliezer of Damascus. He explained this to the sovereign Lord. In his despondency, the word of the Lord came to him saying, “This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.” (Gen. 15:4) The Lord directed him to look to the heavens and see the stars, then told him that his heirs would be greater than the number of stars. That was a powerful encouragement.
Over the years, I’ve had many students who struggled with their academic work. There was a young woman advisee, who failed her first exam in another professor’s class, and she came to the office and broke down in tears, questioning her academic future. So we looked at her exam paper on which her teacher made some suggestions for improvement. We went through her work, developed a study plan, and met occasionally for a progress report. She not only succeeded in that class, but also went on to graduate. On graduation day, she reminded me about how important that session and strategy were for her. Encouragement is powerful.
At my first job, the supervisor assigned me an overhead welding job. As students, we never did overhead welding in our high school classes because the instructor thought that we might burn holes in our clothes, which would upset our parents. I told my supervisor that I had never done an overhead welding job and didn’t know whether I could do it. He said, “Yes, you can.” His confidence bolstered my confidence, and I completed the work. Encouragement is powerful.
Jesus was on his way with a prominent citizen in Capernaum to pray for Jaris’ seriously ill daughter. On the way, they were interrupted by a suffering woman who touched Jesus’ garment and was healed. Jesus needed to teach the woman about how and why her healing took place. As he explained the experience to her, messengers came from the synagogue ruler’s house telling him that his daughter had died; therefore, it was no longer necessary to involve Jesus. “But when Jesus overheard the word spoken, he said to the synagogue ruler, ‘Fear not, only believe.’” (Mark 5:36) At that moment, this father needed encouragement.
Jesus’ encouragement came at a father’s dark moment—a parent learned of the death of his child. Encouragement is not only important in dark moments but also in successful moments—when an employee does good work, when a patient overcomes a malady, when a child brings home a good grade. As a teacher, I would often write “Well done!” or “Keep up the good work!” on a student’s excellent exam or essay.
Jesus’ encouragement was contrary to the message he heard. The messenger only had a negative report, which Jesus heard. His encouragement, however, turned the negative upside down. He heard the negativity, but he uttered positivity.
Jesus’ encouragement was also in the form of instruction: “Fear not, only believe.” The words “fear not” and “believe” are imperatives. Jesus’ encouragement required action—immediate action.
Mark’s account showed that Jesus knew how important encouragement was, and the message has never changed. Encouragement is powerful.
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