Skip to main content

Encouragement


          See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. As has just been said:
“Today, if you hear his voice,
    do not harden your hearts
    as you did in the rebellion.” (Hebrews 3:12-15)
            Encouragement. Yes, that’s a term that we need to put on the table. What is it? How does one encourage? Sometimes, it seems to be as easy as an emoticon. Other times, it requires words, lots and lots of words, or a hug or a hand, or shouldering part of the burden, or spending an hour (or a day), and sometimes, a flower will do. 
            We’re supposed to encourage others – so, what encourages you? This isn’t an easy question for me to answer. What encourages one person in a specific situation may not encourage the next person in that situation, the same person in a different situation, or even the same person in the same situation at another time. 
Smiling face with no fill            A few years ago, I watched a video series about helping the poor. One of the keys it shared about being effective is that helping the poor requires that we take some time to understand what help they need. The video included stories of the destruction of the textile industry in eastern Africa because no one is going to pay for African-made clothing when they can have a Coke t-shirt for free. Like the boy’s walk to the beach to get the shell was part of the gift of the shell, so taking the time to understand. 
            In fact, sometimes the wisdom that comes from understanding is what the person needs most. Is the person on the right track? Is he/she on the wrong track? How is the person not thinking clearly? Think about the typical encouragement: “You got this. You can do this.” Why would anyone say those things? Isn’t it because the person to whom those things are said aren’t believing that they can do it?  
            A runner isn’t sure they can make it to the finish line, what do their encourages do? “Come on! You can make it!” They might even go out to jog with the runner. At least one form of encouragement is all about countering a person’s bad thinking with good thinking. 
            You can do it … when you think you can’t.
            You’ve got this… when it all feels out of control.
            I’m proud of you… when “you” feels ashamed
            You’re doing good… when you are pretty sure that  you’ve messed up so badly even God can’t  fix it.
           Encouragement is all about building courage. It’s about the heart, which means it’s about building the will to do in spite of the feelings or thoughts. It’s also about building hope in the possibility of change. Yes, you may be the wreck you think you are, but if you do this, go that way….
           In other words, encouragement is all about telling someone they are wrong. Think about it.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Saved?

  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:28-30) “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ ” (Matthew 7:21-23) Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written: “So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.” (Romans 3:4)   What conclusion do you draw when someone who was raised in a Christian family and church, perhaps even playing a significant role in a chur...
Post a Comment
Read more

Meditations of the Heart

  May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm19:14)           As I started writing this post, I noted that the meditations of my heart are all over the mental landscape, from a hub where eight superhighways come together to a lunar or nuclear landscape. Do you see my error? The moment I read the word meditation , I think about thoughts. But what’s described here is the meditations of our hearts ; our wills.           While the meditations of our minds may be all over the place, the meditations of our wills tend to be a little more stable by the time we are adults. We no longer tend to want to pursue the ten separate careers we did in any given day as children. Part of this is humble acceptance of reality. We come to understand that we can’t do it all. I think another part of it is disappointmen...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen To Him

              The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him . (Deuteronomy 18:15)           Today, we switch from Jesus’ claims of “I am” to prophecies made about Him. My Bible platform is starting in Deuteronomy. I’d start in Genesis, where we would learn that the one who would save us would be a descendant of Eve (Genesis 3:15), of Noah (by default), Abram and Sara(Genesis 12:1-3). Isaac (Genesis 17:19), Jacob (Genesis 25:23), Judah (Genesis 29:8), and David (II Samuel 7:12-16). There were also references to a new covenant (Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:22-32). In addition, there were prophecies about when and where the prophet/Messiah would be born and what would happen to him.           Of course, naysayers will claim that Jesus’ life was retrofitted or reverse enginee...
Post a Comment
Read more