Recently I said, “Courage is contagious.”
How? How do we pass courage on to one another, to those around us?
It’s the word encourage, which literally means to give away courage. When I encourage someone, I share courage with them. But how do I do that?
Scripture says, “…love drives out fear…” So, if courage is the ability to face our fears and move forward, we encourage people when we love them.
Let’s think about this in the context of Project Rescue’s Outreach Center in the red light district. The staff there welcomes, serves, and loves everyone who enters – victims and traffickers alike.
Does this mean they encourage the traffickers they encounter? To us, it feels a little counterintuitive to encourage criminals.
Violence and evil are always rooted in fear. By patiently forming no-strings-attached relationships based on love, Outreach Center staff can begin to drive out that fear. As fear diminishes, a trafficker is free to encounter Jesus and see the possibility of a different life.
This is difficult, dangerous work. It requires long-term commitment and persistence, and a level of faith beyond my understanding. I want control and immediate results. These folks labor weeks, months, and years, often never knowing the outcome of their efforts.
If you asked, I’ll bet they’d say they’re sure Jesus uses every interaction, nothing is wasted. I’ll bet they’d say He’s always with them, and that’s enough.