Discouragement or Encouragement

by Joe Works

The Bad News

I have a confession …

I sometimes feel discouraged, and you may be my source of discouragement. I generally consider myself a pretty happy guy, so I hope my discouragement comes as a little shock to you. Social media, for me, is a place to see friends and lift each other up. But for some of you, it appears to be a place to rant, often passive-aggressively, about our national leaders. I’m curious about what you think you’re accomplishing. It’s like yelling at the TV when your sports team makes a mistake. They can’t hear you and wouldn’t care if they did.

Here is what I think you are accomplishing:

• Looking like you have answers about world events because you have about .01% insight into what is actually happening behind the scenes. Stop that. (Romans 12:3, 16).
• Stirring up negative feelings in people that you actually care about. Stop that. (Romans 12:10).
• Distracting yourself and others from eternally important things. Stop that! (Roman’s 12:2)

Do your posts, comments, and even "likes" reflect “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men” (Romans 12:18)?

If you’ve read this far, please know that those of you who use social media for godly and goodly (and even goofy) purposes encourage me immensely. Don’t stop doing that.

Important note: Don’t feel sorry for me for being discouraged. I hope to use that to improve myself in person and on social media.

The Good News

Where do I find encouragement? Seeing what is behind the scenes. Just a few examples …

•  I see others holding up the hands of those with a difficult task ahead of them (Deuteronomy 3:28). Each time I see pictures of someone going to a different place to hear God’s word, I also see the dozens of people staying behind to make that mission possible. I see you, and God does, too.
• Seeing children singing and studying their Bibles. I see dedicated parents wanting their children to have trust and hope in Yahweh. I see a young mom who struggles to make it to the end of the day without crying because she feels overwhelmed and a dad who sees himself as inadequate to be the kind of head God wants him to be. But they keep on going. I see you, and God does, too.
• Seeing older saints bent over, hair not what it used to be, needing assistance standing up, walking, and sitting down. I see the souls of people who have worn their bodies out, trying to serve others as best as they know how. As they need help now, I see how they have spent themselves guiding others to the Lord when they rose up, walked along the way, and sat down (Deuteronomy 6:7). I see you, and God does, too.
• When I see you, I see the grace of God. How much more patient I can be with others when I know God has touched and is touching their lives, just as He has mine. When Barnabas saw the Gentile Christians in Antioch, the text tells us he “saw the grace of God and was glad” (Acts 11:23). When I see you, it makes me glad. God sees you, too.

These are just a few things that encourage me as I seek to be a better Joe. Your list probably looks different from mine, and that’s okay. But may I challenge you to find encouragement today and seek to encourage someone else? And not just on social media, but in real life, where it matters more!