Encouragement: The Unexpected Power of Building Others Up

by Anonymous

According to Drs. Larry Crabb and Dan Allender, encouragement is more than a compliment or a pat on the back. It's a skill that can be mastered by anyone. Crabb and Allender "What must we know in order to fulfill the biblical exhortation to 'encourage one another?'" Encouragement provides the answer. Part one deals with understanding encouragement, and part two explores the process of encouragement, including such practical how-tos as developing a careful selection of encouraging words; cultivating active listening skills; using biblical fellowship to move beyond superficial smiles and shallow greetings; and recognizing subtle opportunities for encouragement. Without the encouragement of a caring community, biblical truth taught in church tends to just thicken people's defense layers. But authenticity, freedom, and greater love for God and others are the fruit of encouragement, and evidence of the tremendous power God invests in individuals who practice it.

Genres: Faith, Counselling

160 pages, Paperback

First published May 7, 2013

About the author

Books can be attributed to "Anonymous" for several reasons:

* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author

Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.

See also: Anonymous

Reviews

[Andrew Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, popular-level book on the hard, necessary, yet joyful work of encouragement. The authors ably prove from the Scriptures that Christians must be parts of churches in which the members “speak the truth in love” to one another. The encourager must be unequivocally committed to truth and loving others, both of which are opposed to the flesh. This demands a certain character that can only be the result of a changed heart, which can only come through faith in Jesus.

[Taylor Rollo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very good book for a church community thinking about becoming an encouraging community, which is far more than just saying nice things. They base their idea and definition of encouragement on He. 10:19-25. Basically, this book could almost be thought of as extended and detailed teaching on that passage. By that I do not mean it is all exegetically taken from that one passage and not the reset of Scripture, for they do bring in a lot of Scripture all throughout the book, but it shows clearly what our calling is when the author of Hebrews tells us to stir one another up and encourage one another to love and good works.

The book spends about half the time talking about the kind of people encouragers need to be and about half the time about encouraging others. Both are necessary and helpful.

We used this as a Sunday school class discussion book, and it made for a good class and great discussions. I highly recommend it.

[Joseph McBee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice little book that was...well, encouraging. As Christians we are missing out if we are not seeking ways to encourage and build up our brothers and sisters in Christ. It is a way we can serve others, be active members of the church, and receive blessings ourselves. There are great blessings for those who encourage others, as well as those who are being encouraged. This book is a slim and helpful volume of inspiration and instruction on this kind of "every member a minster" work.

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very practical look at how to edify through relationships. It begins by offering tools for self-assessment so that our attitudes and objectives are conducive to meaningful encouragement. There is a helpful analysis of how our protective layers serve as roadblocks to genuine communication and what we can do to overcome ineffectual dynamics when reaching out to others.

The book is decidedly Christian in orientation and it also draws from basic psychological and sociological concepts to help the reader grasp healthy patterns of interpersonal relationships. The reading style is very accessible and each chapter contains a summary that I found very beneficial.

[Denise · Rating 1 out of 5]

On page 137 of 160 pages-"The focus of this book is on attitude rather than on what to say."

Gee, it sure would have been nice to read that on the FIRST page and save myself the trouble!