The Making of an Encourager

 

Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble.

4 

Say to those with anxious heart,

“Take courage, fear not.

Behold, your God will come with vengeance;

The recompense of God will come,

But He will save you.”

Isaiah 35: 3-4 NASB 1995 BibleGateway.com

   Sometimes it takes only one word, a smile, or a grasp of the hand. Sometimes it means standing by someone during a particularly hard time and helping him or her not give up in despair.

   What does encouragement mean to you? Can you recall a time when someone came alongside you for the sole purpose of lifting your spirits or making you smile?

   Have you ever done that for a hurting person? It feels good to know you're loved. It feels especially good in those low moments when you can't see ahead clearly, when you don't grasp God's perspective and vison for your life. Isaiah 35: 3, 4 admonishes, "Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble. Say to those with anxious heart, 'Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; the recompense of God will come, but He will save you.'"

   The Father has given each of us special tasks within the body of Christ, and those with the gift of exhortation or encouragement (Romans 12:8) can rejoice in their unique and tender ministries. But encouragement isn't strictly the domain of those to whom the Lord has given a special gift; it's not an activity exclusively for those with naturally bubbly or warm personalities. Encouragement is the wonderful, God given function of everyone who belongs to Jesus Christ.

   In the early days of the church, new believers badly needed encouragement. Societal pressures mounted, persecution multiplied, and few had access to the Apostle's teaching (1 Thessalonians 3:1-10).

   Very often, encouragement for the early church came in the form of a person, as it does today. Sometimes just the sight of a certain loved one can reinvigorate your spirits and remove your focus from yourself. Sometimes Paul sent Timothy. More than once, he sent his associate, Tychicus, as a special envoy of joy.

   The ministry of encouragement is indispensable, both to you and to the body of Christ. There is no such thing as a person who doesn't need encouragement.

   By seeking ways to daily encourage those with whom you interact, you further the potential for meaningful, Christ-centered relationships. As Paul told the persecuted Thessalonians, "Encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing . . . Admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone" (1 Thessalonians 5: 11, 14).

Stanley, Charles. F. Life Principles Daily Bible: Biblical Principles for Each Day of the Year. Thomas Nelson: Nashville. 2011. pg 1181.

Two Sides of the Cross of Jesus Christ

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:5

Philippians 4:8-13

As Christians, we need never suffer with thoughts of low self-esteem or defeat. There may be times when we feel down or battle worn, but never defeated. Jesus Christ has conquered the power of sin and death. He is our sufficiency for every need we face. No matter what the circumstance, He is with us and for us.

The most powerful message we can feed our minds is the message of the Cross. God loves us eternally and unconditionally. Paul learned to be content in every situation of life because he knew the Son of God was watching over him. How could he possibly fail?

Whether in need or in abundance, Paul’s sufficiency was rooted in Jesus Christ. His mind was tuned in to the powerful possibilities of God, not the doubt and discouragement of the world. Through times of suffering, even to the point of death, Paul remained firm in his faith.

Ask God to help you exchange any negative thought you may have for God’s perspective. You will find that God never uses words of confusion, doubt, fear, or hopelessness. Instead, He always gives us words of hope, victory, peace, blessing, triumph, and love. Cultivate God’s blessing by learning to walk in light of His victory.

Lord, let me turn out confusion, doubt, fear, and hopelessness. Help me receive Your words of hope, victory, peace, blessing, triumph, and love.

“Seeking His Face” by Dr. Charles Stanley April 9

Christ as life, hide in Jesus Chrust

The wall

Carolyn S. Smith

  

I built a wall around my heart,

A safe place I could hide.

A secret place for just myself,

With all my pain inside.

Others came to visit me,

And though we laughed and cried,

I hid my pain behind the wall,

They couldn't come inside.

One day Jesus came to me

And though I longed for peace,

I was imprisoned by my pain

And couldn't find release.

I could not bring myself to let Him

Come inside the Wall.

And though He helped tremendously,

I couldn't give my all.

As time flew by, my longings

Increased to highest peaks.

I yearned for His fellowship,

I hungered for true peace.

Quietly, He waited there,

Just outside my Wall.

Not asking once or rushing me,

Just loving despite all.

At length one day I knew that I

Could no longer hide.

I asked Him to destroy the wall

So He could come inside.

My heart beat quite alarmingly,

My mind was filled with fear.

My Wall was gone - where would I hide

My anger and my tears?

Amazingly, a peace began

To fill my soul anew.

A quiet joy, an unknown strength

More than I ever knew.

I looked around and saw the Wall

Lay shattered at my feet,

But suddenly I didn't care,

I had a peace so sweet.

I knew at once the pain that had been

Bottled deep within

Had only been a symptom

Of bitterness and sin.

As I released the sin and pain,

Jesus wiped away my tears.

I understood He was my friend,

And He would calm my fears.

And just as sure, I knew that now

He always would abide.

I knew that when I faced new fears,

In Him, now I could hide.

So now instead of crouching

In pain behind my wall,

My hiding place is Jesus,

The greatest place of all.

"Telling Yourself the Truth" by William Backus & Marie Chapian

More tidbits from Telling Yourself the Truth by William Backus & Marie Chapian

Before you read this book, ask yourself this question, “Do I really want to be happy?” If the answer is yes, then I must realize that my joy comes from my relationship to God and His unchanging faithfulness.

“…whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8

   Pursuing peace means to choose it. You will never have peace if you are putting yourself down. The peaceful person is the one who is at peace with himself. Dag Hammerskjold said, “A man who is at war with himself will be at war with others.” When you like yourself, you will be free to like and appreciate others. When you are hard on yourself, you will be hard on others.

   “I can’t even if other people can” are crippling words. Changing your misbeliefs will change your feelings and actions. You can do it.

   One of the first parts of our counseling is to take a history. Examining early years may be important for the following reasons:

1. To discover your misbeliefs learned in childhood.

2. To discover your misbeliefs about events in your childhood.

3. To examine your self-talk: What did you tell yourself then? What do you tell yourself now?

   Change a person’s beliefs and you will change their feelings and behavior.

   There are no pat answers to emotional suffering. Your counselor can pray with you for knowledge and discernment and the wisdom to use them effectively.

What you believe affects how you behave.

A few of the other chapter titles to this book, Telling Yourself the Truth, are:

Misbelief in Depression

Misbelief in Anger

Misbelief in Anxiety

Misbelief in Lack of Self-Control

The Misbelief in Self-Hate

Misbelief in Fear of Change

Misbelief in Never Taking a Chance

Misbelief in Being Indispensable