The world needs encouragement. All of us do at times. And we need to be encouragers. We need to be able to help our family, our children, our friends, and even talk encouragement to ourselves. So, what are the characteristics of an encourager? Do you know one? Are you one? Can you become one? Read more here.
5 Ways to be an Encourager
1. Identify with someone needing encouragement
Look around you. Statistics show that a large percent of the populace, people of all ages and lifestyles, are suffering from depression and other signs of emotional disturbances such as anxiety and depression. This has only increased due to the isolation requirements during the worldwide epidemic.
The fatigue and inertia that so often accompanies these feelings tend only to isolate them even more. The encourager reaches out and speaks kindness rather than condemnation. Sharing a compassionate conversation that opens a door to draw the person back into an involved way of living can trigger a response to activate the person socially once again. Be ready with words of encouragement. Think creatively on how to bring someone who is downcast into the present where interaction begins. So, what are the characteristics of an encourager?
2. Seek to instill confidence in someone who is struggling
Perhaps someone you know has lost confidence in himself and feels defeated and discouraged. She may need assurance that she still has the basic gifts and character traits that once served her well. A severe loss, whether in earning power or in relationships, can knock the props out from under us. Someone may feel they can no longer function in their former full capacity and energized state. Gently reminding them of who they are, the things they have heretofore accomplished, the opportunities that are still theirs to grasp, can motivate them to try again. Your outreach has renewed a confidence that had been lost. So, what are the characteristics of an encourager? You can become an encourager.
3. Offer hope
Feeding the inner hope of one who feels abandoned, completely left out, or has even lost the aspiration of renewal, is a delicate challenge for the encourager. Hope always knows there is something better. Hope sees it as attainable at least to some degree.
The abandonment of hope is a deep loss. Guiding someone back to see his purpose in this life, and reminding him of his history of great relationships, can alter the course. It can give assurance that there is still hope, and that all is not lost.
Healing words outrank criticism. Help them to list the possibilities that are still theirs, list the job options to check out, guide their journey to a faith in God.
The encourager has a wide range of wonderful opportunities to encourage by fanning the fire of hope and the flame of try-again. So, what are the characteristics of an encourager?
4. Lift up the downtrodden
Empower the disheartened. Help someone face reality and remind them of all their abilities that just need to be dusted off, recharged, and renewed. Helping a friend or family member openly face the problem or the perceived defeated position can be powerful. The encourager not only assists others but builds an army of friends along the way to encourage himself later. It is a gift that keeps on giving.
5. Love that discouraged and disheartened person
There are times when it is difficult to believe that there are bright tomorrows awaiting, or new and loving relationships longing to be developed.
Love the person. Help them to learn to be kind to themselves. Teach them self-care, and how to love oneself and once again to see the beauty and promise of life.
Walk with him until he can walk alone. Share your faith as you help him step out again and grasp the life that awaits.
Being an encourager is a rewarding lifestyle. The encourager grows in character and stature as he/she develops the art of encouraging others. It is a character of strength and courage, serving as a blessing to people in their most needful time.
Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.
— Albert Einstein
And, an encourager is of great value.
FAQs
What are the characteristics of a true encourager?
A true encourager is someone who notices the people around them who are struggling and chooses to reach out rather than look away. They identify with those who are hurting, instill confidence in those who feel defeated, offer genuine hope to those who feel abandoned, lift up the downtrodden, and love people through their hardest seasons. An encourager speaks kindness rather than condemnation and is willing to walk alongside someone until that person can stand on their own again. It is a character built on strength and courage, and it serves as a blessing to people exactly when they need it most.
How can you identify someone who needs encouragement?
Look around — a large percentage of people, across every age and walk of life, are quietly carrying depression, anxiety, or emotional exhaustion, a struggle that has only deepened with seasons of isolation. The fatigue and inertia that accompany these feelings often cause people to withdraw even further, making them harder to notice. An encourager pays attention to these subtle signs and responds with a compassionate conversation rather than judgment. Sometimes simply opening a door — a kind word, a thoughtful question — is enough to draw someone back into engaging with life again.
How can you help restore confidence in someone who feels defeated?
A severe loss — whether in a relationship, a career, or a sense of identity — can knock the props out from under anyone, leaving them feeling like they can no longer function the way they once did. Restoring confidence starts with gently reminding them of who they are — their gifts, their character, and the things they have already accomplished. Pointing out the opportunities still available to them, rather than dwelling on what has been lost, can reignite a willingness to try again. That kind of outreach has the power to renew a confidence that felt completely gone.
How do you offer real hope to someone who feels like all hope is lost?
Offering hope to someone who feels abandoned or completely defeated is a delicate task, but it is one of the most meaningful gifts an encourager can give. Hope always points to something better and frames it as attainable, even if only in small steps. A few practical ways to nurture hope in someone else:
- Remind them of their purpose and the meaningful relationships and accomplishments in their history.
- Speak healing words rather than criticism — encouragement builds where judgment tears down.
- Help them list possibilities still available to them, including practical options like job opportunities.
- Guide them gently toward faith in God, which offers a hope that does not depend on circumstances.
Why is being an encourager considered such a valuable way to live?
Being an encourager is a rewarding lifestyle, not just an occasional act of kindness. As Albert Einstein once said, “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value” — and an encourager embodies exactly that. Every act of empowering the disheartened, lifting up someone who has lost their footing, or simply loving a person through a hard season builds character and stature in the encourager as well. It is, quite literally, a gift that keeps on giving: the people you encourage often become part of a wider circle of support that one day encourages you in return.
