More Than a Word of Encouragement

If you are of a certain generation, you might instantly recognize, "ROY G. BIV," as the colors of the visible light spectrum. Or "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally," as the order of mathematical operations. These are mnemonic devices, but they only remain helpful if information and language do not change. For instance, what exactly are we doing about "My Very Expensive Machine Just Sucked Up Nine...??" these days? In the absence of Pluto as "planet", how has this learning tool been impacted? In today's world, language and information seem to go through more updates than a three-year-old cell phone. (Everyone knows they're just frying your battery.) I keep a 1936 dictionary on hand, and from time to time, I come across words in today's conversations that have either changed in definition or did not even exist less than one hundred years ago. 

One of my favorite (or least favorite, depending) examples is the word empathy, a word that was not in existence in 1936. According to today's dictionary, empathy refers to "the ability to identify with or understand another's situation or feelings". In other words, "I can relate." Sympathy, on the other hand, today means "feeling pity or sorrow for the distress of another". Sort of a "that's a shame" response. Today's society poo-poos sympathy as being superficial; the greater emotion is empathy says the zeitgeist. But if you look at each part of each word, the prefixes and the root (pathos, meaning "feeling"), you might see things differently. The prefix sym- means "to join with", like the symphony that creates one cohesive sound or the symbiotic relationship, both parties giving and receiving equally. On the other hand, the prefix em- means "to cause to be" or "to put into", such as to embolden, or instill boldness in someone. Sympathy joins with the sufferer, taking their pain on oneself; while empathy merely generates some feeling, bringing it into the situation. 1 Peter 3:8 (NIV) Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. It is sympathy that requires love and action.

So, why the language lesson? Encouragement. Again, the prefix en- means to put into; to encourage someone means to put courage into them. Discourage (dis- "lack of") of course, is the opposite; to withdraw courage from someone, to leave someone feeling without boldness. Neither of these words have changed much over the years, but our common use can cause us to accept a watered-down view of their meaning. Think of the mom on the sidelines, wildly cheering her child on in their first track meet. Encouragement, right? It's obvious! But from where are we to receive the boldness necessary to simply continue in a world that opposes godly values? Who will build us up when our efforts to be salt and light have been met with torrents of rain? The Bible is one of the best sources of encouragement, of course, but believers are a body, the body of Christ, made up of many different parts, working together and supporting one another for the glory of God. We are to encourage one another as well. Encourage! Join with one another in joy and pain (sympathy). Bear one another's burdens in prayer and activity when possible. Speak life into our brothers and sisters. It is far too easy in this world to tear one another down; but we are not of this world. Be kind and forgive much. Don't stop! (1 Thessalonians 5:11) If we are all encouraging one another all the time, every one of us should be filled with the courage to continue filling one another with courage! Our confidence and courage are because we serve the One True God by the power of His Holy Spirit because of the finished work of His Son. Nothing is impossible with Him. But we're human. We live in a physical world that can discourage us. We sometimes need to experience live, radical, no-holds-barred encouragement from flesh and blood like us. God has met that need in our brothers and sisters in Christ. And He has met their needs in each of us.