Anatole France once said, "Nine tenths of education is encouragement." The same can be said for preaching, with a slightly different percentage; according to Paul, 33% of preaching is encouragement. He said, "But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort." (1 Corinthians 14:3)

I think this applies to our conversations, as well. Here's my point. I need to always check the content of my sermons (and my conversations) to see how much time I spend encouraging others, as opposed to how much time I spend pointing out errors, or complaining about how bad things are, or warning about how bad things will get, and so on. People need encouragement.

So, what is it? What does it look like? According to various online dictionaries, it can be defined as: "contributing the progress or growth of someone or something;-the expression of approval or support; to motivate, incitement to action or practice; to give hope or courage to someone."

You could say that encouragement is telling someone what they most need to hear in order to take the next right step.

Sermons (and conversations) that I find most encouraging are the ones that remind me that God's mercy is always more powerful than my sin, and there is no situation beyond God's ability to restore, and that restoration can begin today if I start taking action today.

I want to be more intentional in my sermons (and conversations) to include an element of, "You can do it. Here's how." Whether we're on a stage or just talking to a friend one on one, we're called to be voices of encouragement.