On holiday recently we found ourselves in the situation where we had to go up an extremely steep and difficult path for half a mile. I had actually done this path before, but when I was 30 years younger. I was really unsure that I could make it.
In the first few minutes we heard a man behind us trying to encourage his teenage daughter to keep going at a sensible pace, and using me as an example. A few minutes later he helped me up a step which was too high for me to manage.
About half-way up, a lady who looked about 40 had stopped to rest again. She called me an inspiration, saying that she kept going by watching me and telling herself that if I could do it, so could she…..and I found that her words gave me a real lift in spirit.
Further up there were still quite a few of the real big steps that were impossible for me to manage alone, but with a little help at each of those I reached the top.
The lessons of perseverance, helping each other and the value of encouragement speak for themselves, but I went on to think about the problem of discouraging others. When a group consisting of a leader from each tribe of Israel (Numbers 13) was sent to give a report on the promised land, ten of them returned saying that the task was too difficult. They focussed on the problems, and deliberately spread discouragement among the people- with disastrous results. The Lord took a very dim view of their conduct, leading to many years in the desert for everyone else. This should make us think very carefully about discouraging others.
In Deuteronomy 20 v 8 there is an instruction that those who are fainthearted and afraid should not go into battle… because they might discourage others! I had not previously noticed that there was a reason given with this instruction.
The warfare references led me to look up ‘morale’ - "the amount of confidence felt by person or group of people, esp. when in a dangerous or difficult situation".
We live in a time of spiritual warfare, and need to think about morale – to “ think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.” (Hebrews 10 v 24), and to support each other to be strong in the Lord.
If you want follow up on this theme here are a few verses to think about.
Galatians 6:9-10
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Philippians 2:3-4
Ephesians 4:29
Colossians 3:16
Matthew 5:16