The first time I heard someone say it at work, I didn’t get it. It struck me as strange then and still does. Someone was talking in front of a group and my coworker called out, “Word!” I figured out by context he was voicing approval or agreement with what the speaker had expressed.
Years ago, I worked as an interpreter for some African megachurch pastors visiting the U.S. And in a black church one Sunday morning, people did something similar. We saw it as part of the church’s culture. Unlike services familiar to us where the pastor preached before a respectfully silent congregation, this flock was engaged and vocal! They constantly shouted out things like, “Alright, now!” and “Well!”
We’d heard people say, “Amen” to voice agreement in church, and had even done so ourselves on occasion, but this was much more lively. Sometimes the preacher paused dramatically to leave room for the words of approbation, as if he fed off it. I get that. I know how draining and unnerving it can feel to stand before an unresponsive audience.
Preachers and public speakers aren’t the only ones who need to hear something encouraging, though. We all yearn to be noticed, to feel seen, and often we look to what people say to or about us to meet that need. The other day my boss responded positively to some useful material I’d unearthed, saying, “Great job!” Quick and simple, but that affirming feedback lifted my spirits.
King Solomon, the wisest man to have lived, mentions the power of a word in Proverbs: Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, but a good word makes it glad (Proverbs 12:25).
When the people around us, even our families, disappoint us when we need them most, there are two other places we can find a good word to make us glad. Once the future king, David, found himself in a bad place—where even those under his command turned against him. As upset as he was, and despite how dark things looked, we read in 1 Samuel 30:6, But David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
We can encourage ourselves in the Lord when no one else seems to be there for us. Like the apostle Paul, we can tell ourselves, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).
A sure source of support is God Himself. Once when David was taken captive and in trouble, he declared, This I know; that God is for me (Psalm 56:9). The Holy Spirit is called our comforter and helper, and Paul wrote about the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. In that relationship we find a wonderful source of encouragement. As we tune into His voice, He pours out the love of God in our hearts and gives us a hope that does not disappoint (Romans 5:5).
Ideally, we will become secure enough in God’s love for us that we won’t be so dependent on the approval and affirmation of others. The more that shift happens, the more we’ll stop worrying about ourselves and instead start giving encouraging words to others!
