Bible
Key Verse: Verse 8 – “Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.”
Key Words: Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation
The grace gift of
exhortation is the ability to motivate people who are going the wrong way to
change direction. The word literally
means to prod. It is like prodding a
fire to increase the flames or prodding a cow so he will go in another
direction.
So the gift of exhortation focuses on people being
right: doing right, living right, acting right.
A verse many people quote in regard to church attendance is Hebrews
10:25, “Not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so
much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Exhortation is prodding one to do right when
it comes time for the people to assemble together (for church).
In the book of II Thessalonians Paul exhorted the
disorderly and the busybodies to do right; and for those who were exhorters,
Paul was exhorting the exhorters to not be weary in well-doing.
I have found that there are two ways to exhort
people. First, to exhort through
ownership. Let me explain. Can you remember the last time you washed a
rental car? Probably not. People do not wash rental cars. The motivation of ownership is missing. People who don’t feel a part will never feel
“motivated.”
Secondly, to exhort through prodding. As a small boy my friends and I rode our
bikes everywhere. On one occasion we had
some people moving in down the road from us so we decided to ride over and see
if they had any one our age in their family.
When we arrived in their yard we were greeted by a Great Dane that
wasn’t happy we were there so he pursued after us. We felt an immediate urge to leave quickly
which we did. That dog had “exhorted” us
to move, to get with it. Well, that’s
what the gift of exhortation does. It
motivates, prods others to get up and get with it.
✞ I’m guessing my drill instructor in basic training had the gift of exhortation.
