Behold, you have instructed many, and you have strengthened the weak hands. Your words have upheld him who was stumbling, and you have made firm the feeble knees. But now it has come to you, and you are impatient, it touches you, and you are dismayed. Is not your fear of God your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope?

Research shows that the reading and hearing of negative comments arouses anxiety and depressed feelings, making people feel even worse as they deal with problems within their lives. In an article entitled, “The Most Dangerous Word in the World,” Andrew Newberg and Mark Waldman assert that just seeing a list of negative words for a few seconds can trigger feelings and emotions, permanently implanting memories that can stifle any behavior in moving forward in “problem resolution.”

It has been said that Job’s three friends were wonderful counselors—until they opened their mouths! Our verses for today are the opening comments of Eliphaz, his friend from Teman, a district of Edom known as a center for wisdom (Jeremiah 49:7). Customarily, Eliphaz would have led off with his discourse if he were the eldest, thought to be the more experienced in the ways of both the world and God. We are not certain of any of these characterizations, but we can say that his initial introductory thoughts regarding Job were encouraging and could have been positively helpful to Job if he had continued expanding on that line of thinking. Sad to say, he, like the other “friends” to come, wandered back into a blame-game, indicating that such a catastrophe could only be caused by some dark sin in Job’s life.

Eliphaz began by acknowledging Job’s past role as a source of encouragement to others. Indeed, it was Job’s godly instruction that strengthened those who were weak and feeble in spirit, who lacked strength to take initial steps themselves in moving through the problematic circumstances of their lives. Consider the fact that at one time Job had all the resources needed to “live above the fray” of life’s hard circumstances experienced by most of his community. And yet, he took the time to invest himself in helping others in their need.

But now, Job was experiencing his own catastrophe! Would that Eliphaz had known that his first words of encouragement could have been used to lift Job’s spirit above the wallow of his circumstances! Indeed, it would have been better for him and Job to have imitated the way Job had imparted counsel to others.

Oh! That we would all learn that the act of encouragement is, by definition, the act of imparting courage upon another. Positive words need to be repeated often to be remembered. Whereas negative words, once spoken, can be difficult to forget. Encouragement is not necessarily natural; therefore, it must be continually cultivated—the assuring smile (not laugh), the clarification of feelings, words that commend strengths, and compliments of past observations. True friends should always be truthful about what is going on, but all advice is more readily received when served on an authentic plate of encouragement!

By Bill Niblette, Ph.D., Bible League International contributor, Pennsylvania U.S.