Everyone needs Encouragement!

Comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. (1 Thessalonians 5:14)

During the Boer War..., a man was convicted of a very unusual crime,...being a "discourager." The town of Ladysmith was under attack, and this traitor would move up and down the lines of soldiers who were defending the city and do everything he could to discourage them. He would point out the enemy's strength, the difficulty of defending against them, and the inevitable capture of the city. He didn't use a gun in his attack.... His weapon was the power of discouragment.

Encouragement, on the other hand, strengthens the weak, imparts courage to the fainthearted, and gives hope to the faltering. One of the greatest ministries we can have is to lift the spirits of fellow believers.