Encouragement
One evening following dinner, my 5-year-old, Ryan, decided that he and his daddy needed to have a race. “This race was going to be special,” Ryan announced, as he trotted back with two handled shopping bags. He quickly demonstrated to Daddy precisely how they were to put both feet in the bag, hold the shopping bag handles, and hop. For a full visual of this proposed race, you need to know that my husband is 6’4” tall with size 14 feet. While Ryan was quite confident of this racing methodology, his daddy looked on with significant skepticism. It was clear that, although Ryan had no doubt in his daddy’s ability to compete, his daddy wasn’t so sure and was seemingly contemplating what he could say to extract himself from this event. The other three adults in attendance immediately started cheering him on! Following these cheers and encouragement, he gained confidence, removed his shoes, and assumed the bent-over-handle-holding position, ready to race. We witnessed three or more heats of this race, and as you can imagine, the room was FULL of joy and laughter.
After considering all these events, I sensed the value of our encouragement on the outcome. Without it, there may have never been a race. My husband may never have overcome his seeming self-consciousness to actually participate. And, without a doubt, the room would have been far less joyful. Ryan would have been (at a minimum) disappointed, and I believe the rest of us in the room would have felt about the same.
If you regularly listen for God, you may have noticed that there are times when He sets something before you that is not exactly what you would have chosen. You may even feel unqualified or incapable and actually seek a way out of the situation. For various reasons, we may not want to do whatever it is that He is asking of us. And left alone, many of us talk ourselves out of God’s will.
Is there something you’ve been facing with trepidation? Are you unsure of your ability to perform what God has placed before you? Seek the encouragement of others who will stand with you in faith. Likewise, we should seek situations wherein we may encourage others. The fruits of our efforts will undoubtedly be rooms FULL of Joy.
Ephesians 4:29 Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
1 Kings 22:13 Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Now listen, the words of the prophets with one accord encourage the king. Please, let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak encouragement.”
Hebrews 3:13 (NASB) But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
Father God, May we receive Your encouragement through the words of Your children and look for opportunities to offer Your words of encouragement to others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Barb
After considering all these events, I sensed the value of our encouragement on the outcome. Without it, there may have never been a race. My husband may never have overcome his seeming self-consciousness to actually participate. And, without a doubt, the room would have been far less joyful. Ryan would have been (at a minimum) disappointed, and I believe the rest of us in the room would have felt about the same.
If you regularly listen for God, you may have noticed that there are times when He sets something before you that is not exactly what you would have chosen. You may even feel unqualified or incapable and actually seek a way out of the situation. For various reasons, we may not want to do whatever it is that He is asking of us. And left alone, many of us talk ourselves out of God’s will.
Is there something you’ve been facing with trepidation? Are you unsure of your ability to perform what God has placed before you? Seek the encouragement of others who will stand with you in faith. Likewise, we should seek situations wherein we may encourage others. The fruits of our efforts will undoubtedly be rooms FULL of Joy.
Ephesians 4:29 Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
1 Kings 22:13 Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Now listen, the words of the prophets with one accord encourage the king. Please, let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak encouragement.”
Hebrews 3:13 (NASB) But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
Father God, May we receive Your encouragement through the words of Your children and look for opportunities to offer Your words of encouragement to others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Barb
posted by BreadBakers at 12:28 PM
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