Encourage daily

I realized the other day that I often think about encouragement as an event. Something that happens, or an activity that I engage in once in a while when I see someone who “needs” it. I don’t think that’s what God had in mind when He repeatedly commands us to encourage each other. In fact, Hebrews 3:13 would suggest otherwise.

When my wife and I were first married and living in the Seattle area, we joined a local health club that had gyms near our apartment and near our church. This pretty much took away all of our excuses for not be able to hit the gym…although we still tried.

After several weeks of working out, I finally decided it was time to meet with a personal trainer and up my game a bit. I made an appointment and sat down with a young man whose body looked like it had literally been cut from a rock. He didn’t have a six pack, he had a 12 pack with a couple of extra muscle groups floating around his abs. He was lean, ripped and probably had about .00023% body fat.

The last couple of days we’ve been talking about doing just “one thing” to make a difference in the spiritual environment around you. It doesn’t take much, but just one intentional, deliberate act of kindness, mercy, service and love could change everything for one person.

 IF YOU NEED ENCOURAGEMENT continue . . .

You ever tried to encourage some one and just totally bombed out?  I have.  I was in our local WINCO (grocery store) late one night getting my wife some pickles and peanut butter during our third pregnancy.  While standing in line, the young lady in front of me had a giant bag of chocolate and a small pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream.  She seemed happy and I jokingly asked, “One of those night, eh?” with a big smile on my face.

She burst into tears.

I don’t mean a little water under the eyes, I’m talking about a fire hydrant that just got popped open because of the volcanic pressure laying behind it.  The clerk had to put a rain coat on to finish the transaction and I shrank to exactly 2.5 inches tall and almost drowned in the flood of tears that hit the floor around me.  What started as a little small talk joke meant to make some one smile turned into one of the most embarrassing moments of my adult life.  If that was you and you’re reading this, know that I’m very sorry for that moment in time.  Maybe someday we could go out for ice cream (my treat!) and laugh about it?

A real encouragement disaster.

As Christmas approaches and anxiety arises it seems like this might be an appropriate verse for us to ponder today.

Ephesians 4:29

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 

This week we are encouraging you to read through the book of Philippians. Today we move on to chapter 2. The goal is to spend time with God, not just read His Word like you are reading the US Tax Code. Ponder it. Listen to it. Meditate on it. Ask God to answer questions you are wrestling through. Apply it to your life. Be encouraged by it. Let it move you–transform your thinking. God’s Word is so rich and powerful, but we have to allow it to soak into our veins so that we live, breathe and move in His Word.

Today, let’s begin with a challenge.

There are people all around us that need someone to encourage them and to pray for them. Today, be that person who takes the time to inspire those around you. Write out a prayer and give it to someone. 

Listen to Paul’s heart in the book of Philippians as he writes from a prison cell. 

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

- Philippians 1:7-11