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| My Family 2012 My Husband Josh of 19years....our kiddos: Collin (15), Cody (12), Kaitlyn (7), Corey (5) |
Just a Mom and a Wife, those callings I can affirm and I knew how valuable they were. I mattered there. I made a difference in my home. My thinking about "encouraging others" was shrunken down to make other people happy, make things pretty, give lots of hugs, say nice and positive things, be a helper wherever needed, put everyone elses needs before your own.
Until one day God took me so far out into the Wilderness, I was sooo extremely thirsty, that the one drop of Living Water on my soul brought immeasurable replenishment. At one point, I had nothing left. I thought I was done. Then, Encouragement came. Though they looked much like my friends, it was the Lord who hugged me. It was the Lord who cheered me on to get up and run the race. It was the Lord who reminded me of His faithfulness and Truths. The Lord was my Encourager, through the hands and feet, hearts and souls of "others."
Encouragement saved my life, literally. I'd say that's a pretty valuable gift. Anything in and of the Lord is precious and valuable. It took being on the receiving end of the Gift to fully understand the Power of the Gift. I alone am nothing. I am dorky and not always "intellectually quick." I have to really fight hard to gain knowledge through repetition and experience. I, Michele, in the Lord, am able...Wow, that's an honor to say yet a humbling truth. (I feel another blog coming!!) With this Truth and Testimony, I have walked in-courage best I know how, how He leads me to encourage others. It's more than a pat on the back. My heart and soul desire with holy passion to turn the face of the hurting one towards Christ, and that means revealing the Truth of the Cross, giving Hope to the hopeless, being the hands and feet and sometimes even the mouth of Christ to encourage them to flee from their current captivity/lies and run for Freedom/Truth in Jesus Name!
Just like any other gift, we can use it, actually, we are commanded to use it in His Name. He is the One afterall who placed that holy passion in us. May we be found faithful to nourish it and guard it from the one who comes to steal and destroy all that is Good. Whatever your gifting is, know it is water to the soul.
Eventhough my gifting is Encouragment and this is the primary theme of my study today, we are reminded that we are ALL called to encourage one another and build each other up. So, as I take time to work through some of these Self Evaluations about myself and ask God to refine me, won't you too take the time to search your spirit through the filter of your gifting and seek His teaching and refining. Really take the time to pray through these. If you have to bookmark it and come back later to it, then do. May we find ourselves answering more "Yes" than "No"...
Choose today who you will serve. You can serve yourself. Or you can serve Christ. Be encouraged Gift of God.
Michele
Taken from The Ministry of Encouragment:
Regarding the coming of Christ, Paul told the Thessalonians to “encourage one another with these words”(1 Thess. 4:18). In other words, build up each other with these marvelous truths— remind each other of God’s promises—comfort one another with these assurances and provide for believer’s stability and security. False teaching leads to insecurity and instability. God’s Word leads to maturity (Eph. 4:14-15). In 2 Thessalonians 2:15-17, Paul says that God by His grace has given us “eternal encouragement.”
Self-evaluation: questions regarding the motivation and ministry of encouragement:
- Do my words of encouragement outweigh words of correction or criticism?
- Do people become more cheerful when they are around me?
- Would my family consider me to be an encouraging person?
- Is it easy for me to praise, thank and affirm others?
- Do I apologize when I give a negative or discouraging report?
- Have I been diligent in affirming those in my immediate sphere of influence?
- Have I been diligent in encouraging the authorities God has placed over me?
- Do I pass along good news and swallow gossip or do I do the reverse?
- Does my conversation with friends generally build up or tear down people?
- Do I think more about giving praise than receiving it?
- Do I desire to counsel, comfort, encourage and exhort other people?
- Am I able to encourage those who hurt or persecute me?
- Have I recognized how encouraging God is to others as well as to me?
- Does my impatience or anger get in the way of encouraging relationships?
- Am I patient in listening to God so He can encourage my heart?
What are some benefits and blessing of being encouraged by others?
- Encouragement helps others discover more about how God made them.
- It helps them to better appreciate who they are and how they are gifted.
- It increases their self-esteem and improves their self-concept.
- It helps them to better love others as they love themselves (Mt. 19:19).
- It helps them to be built up in the faith and increases their courage.
- It helps them develop more healthy relationships with others.
- It comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable
- It gives them what they need, not just what they want.
- It provides them with a much-needed inspiring role model.
- It challenges them to provide a similar ministry to others.
- It provides a positive mental outlook essential for healthy living.
- It meets one of their most basic needs.
- It contributes to the health of the church and enables it to function effectively.
How can we learn to spread “good” gossip?
It’s important to tell the people in your life how important they are to you. It’s also important for you to tell others how important they are. If you know something good about someone, spread it around. Don’t keep it a secret. Paul took the opportunity in his writings to brag on his fellow workers. He understood that it was part of the process of building strong relationships. Here are some things to keep in mind when you spread good gossip:- Be sincere! Cultivate the art of sincere praise (not flattery or lying).
- Don’t use it like a cattle prod. The idea is not to brag on one person so that another feels shamed into doing better. This is not the best way to motivate someone. This leads only to resentment, or jealousy, or both.
- Be consistent. Make sure that what you say publicly is consistent with what you say privately. If you compliment some one in public, but are critical in private, you’ll lose credibility and your relationship will suffer as a result.
What does the New Testament teach about the spiritual gift of encouragement?
The gift of encouragement involves the special ability of stimulating the faith of others (Rom.12:8a). We all have the responsibility to be encouraging but some have a special gift or ability. Bill Gothard has identified some common characteristics of this gift:
Characteristics Emphasized by the Gift of Encouragement/Exhortation:
- A desire to visualize specific achievement and prescribe precise steps of action (Phil. 3:17).
- A tendency to avoid systems of information which lack practical application.
- The ability to see how tribulation can produce new levels of maturity.
- A dependence on visible acceptance when speaking to individuals or groups.
- Discovery of insights that can be validated and illustrated from Scripture.
- An enjoyment with those eager to follow specific steps of action.
- A grief when teaching is not accompanied by practical steps of action.
- A delight in personal conferences that result in new, helpful insights.
- A motivation to urge people to their full spiritual maturity in Christ (Col. 1:28-29)
- An ability to discern where a person is in their spiritual growth (1 Cor. 3:1).
- A strong desire to urge Christians on towards spiritual maturity (2 John 1:4).
- Explaining truth with logical reasoning in order to make it acceptable (1 Cor. 15).
- A desire for face to face interaction to insure a positive response (1 Thess. 2:17; 3:10).
- A desire for harmony which is essential for spiritual maturity (Phil. 2:2).
- The ability to see how tribulation can contribute to spiritual growth (2 Cor. 1:5; 4:17).
How can the gift of exhortation be misused or abused?
- Raising the expectations of others prematurely.
- Taking “family time” to counsel others.
- Treating family and friends as “projects” rather than as persons.
- Sharing private illustrations without permission.
- Jumping into new projects without finishing existing ones.
- Encouraging others to depend on them rather than God and their authorities.
- Trusting visible results rather than a true change of heart.
- Neglecting proper emphasis on basic Bible doctrines.
- Giving counsel before discerning the type of person or problem.
- The emphasis on specific steps may appear to simply the problem.
- The urgency to give advice may come across as over-confidence.
- The desire to provide a positive example may look like lack of interest in evangelism.
- The use of Scripture for application may appear to take it out of context.
- The emphasis on actions may appear insensitive to the feelings of others.
How important is the ministry of encouragement?
I believe that Dr. John Maxwell hit the nail on the head when he referred to “encouragement” as “oxygen for the soul.” If you deprive a soul of oxygen, it shrivels and it will not develop as God intended. Deprive a soul of encouragement and it will withdrawal into a shell. Deprive a soul of encouragement and it will live out a fearful existence. Deprive a soul of encouragement and it will be unable or incapable of encouraging others; it will be apathetic and cynical, pessimistic and lethargic. In the extreme, it may even wish that it were dead.What Are Some Practical Ways We Can Encourage One Another?
- Kind Words—affirmation, compliments, sincere praise, apology
- Empathetic active listening and constructive feedback
- Body language—cheerful look, smile, laughter
- Godly example—the most powerful source
- Physical touch—when appropriate
- Providing hope—seeing a brighter future
- Providing personal help and practical assistance
- Assuring others of your prayers for them
- Personal Challenge to grow
- Spur one another to love and good deeds
- Inspiring stories/examples
- Remembering events
- Giving to others—adding values to their lives
- Sharing appropriate Scripture with others
- Expressing appreciation
- Rewarding accomplishments
- Spreading good gossip
- Caring, thoughtful, considerate actions
- God’s Word—especially His promises
- Our position in Christ
- Unselfishly meeting needs
- Empathizing with the hurting
- Rejoicing with those who rejoice
- Persuading others to trust/follow Christ
- Exhort to persevere—to continue in the faith
- Cheer up the faint hearted
- Invitation to respond to the Gospel
- Providing solace and consolation
- Comfort and relieve those in distress
- Urge on toward holiness
Is there anything we can do to encourage ourselves?
Sometimes we disappoint others or get blamed by others, rightly or wrongly, and we may find it difficult to find others to encourage us when we need it most. David had such an experience in 1 Samuel 30:6, “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters...” It is very instructive how David responded to this difficult situation. The text says, “but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.” We can and we must learn to encourage ourselves when there is no one around to encourage us. The key is, “in the Lord.” When Paul was writing to the Philippians from jail he exhorted them to “Rejoice in the Lord always...” (Phil. 4:4). There is always a realistic reason to be encouraged “in the Lord” and to rejoice “in the Lord.”How specifically did David learn to encourage his heart in the Lord?
The Psalms help to answer this question. David encouraged himself through spiritual journaling and heartfelt, honest prayer. The Psalms are a window to David’s souls. They record man’s word to God and God’s Word to man—usually in that order. The Psalms often begin on a low note and an honest sharing of emotion, but as the writer reflects God’s truth through the eyes of faith he breaks out in praise and foresees better days. The Psalms encourage a dialogical relationship between God and his children. The Psalms are filled with praise for who God is, with thanks for what God does and with hope for what God has promised. They provide evidence of a strong faith by a man who was after God’s heart. Worship enables us to focus our faith on God and our hope in God and it is always uplifting and encouraging.How is the word “encouragement” used in the Scripture?
- Hope encourages—Psalm 31:24—Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.
- Encouraged to find our joy in the Lord—Psalm 100:1—Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
- Encourage the oppressed—Isaiah 1:17—Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.
- The Spirit encourages—Acts 9:31—Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.
- Encouragement through words—Acts 15:32—Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers.
- Encourage new Christians in the faith—Acts 16:40—After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged them. Then they left; Acts 20:1—When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said good-by and set out for Macedonia.
- Encouragement through affirmation—Romans 1:8—First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world
- Encouragement can be a spiritual gift—Romans 12:8a—if it is encouraging, let him encourage...
- Encourage your neighbor—Romans 15:2—Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.
- The Scriptures encourage—Romans 15:4—For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
- Encourage through the spiritual gift of preaching—1 Cor. 14:3—But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort; 1 Cor. 14:31—
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