Encouragement
The charism of encouragement enables one to be a comforting presence and nurture others with spiritual, emotional, and/or physical needs by their encouraging words or counsel. Individuals with the gift of encouragement nurture at an extraordinary level. They are bestowed with the special grace to effectively listen and verbally comfort or counsel, so those in need will feel helped and are inspired to grow. In exercising the gift of encouragement, one calls forth the best of another by helping them foster a desire to live truly authentic Christian lives. They also help others by lifting them up when they are discouraged or downhearted. They challenge them to see God’s call in their lives.
Those with the charism of encouragement are energized by working with the varied needs of one individual rather than a group of people. They find being invited into the personal world of another very life giving and may feel closer to God through the experience. However, the gift of encouragement is not measured by the experience of the individual that expresses the gift. It is measured by the growth that happens in the life of the individual, who allows someone with the gift of encouragement to enter into personal and often guarded territory.
The Charism of encouragement is the most difficult gift to discern of all spiritual gifts. More people score high in encouragement than any other gift on the spiritual gifts inventory. This may be due to our natural tendency to encourage and desire to help others in need. The gift of encouragement goes beyond our natural human tendencies, into the supernatural. That which cannot be explained except by Divine intervention.
Those with the charism of encouragement are energized by working with the varied needs of one individual rather than a group of people. They find being invited into the personal world of another very life giving and may feel closer to God through the experience. However, the gift of encouragement is not measured by the experience of the individual that expresses the gift. It is measured by the growth that happens in the life of the individual, who allows someone with the gift of encouragement to enter into personal and often guarded territory.
The Charism of encouragement is the most difficult gift to discern of all spiritual gifts. More people score high in encouragement than any other gift on the spiritual gifts inventory. This may be due to our natural tendency to encourage and desire to help others in need. The gift of encouragement goes beyond our natural human tendencies, into the supernatural. That which cannot be explained except by Divine intervention.