Encouragement has a positive and negative component as we spur on others to do some things and not do other things. We are to issue both support for and warnings against. Don’t waste your life on trivial things, but do live for things that count for eternity. Don’t give in to temptation, but do enjoy the blessings and benefits of grace. Don’t listen to the lies of the enemy, but do believe the words of the Lord. Encouragement isn’t neutral. It should repel evil and attract good. Instruction to avoid the world and its ways should always include an invitation to receive the better things of Jesus and His kingdom.
