I love to give and receive encouragement. And encouragement is—can be—a spiritual gift. (See A Little Help FOR Our Friends.)
But it is possible to encourage evil, and that is not good.
“Because you disheartened the righteous with falsehood when I did not cause him grief, but have encouraged the wicked not to turn from his wicked way and preserve his life…” (Ezekiel 13:22)
And the end of the chain of depravity in Romans 1 is:
“Although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.” (Romans 1:32)
We must be discerning to know when encouragement is good, or not.
We must prayerfully consider:
How and when to encourage
AND how not to encourage evil in others.
Let’s consider “how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,” (Hebrews 10:24)
“These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority.” (Titus 2:15)
Let’s consider how to encourage God’s children.
And let’s pray how to respond to the evil in our midst.
