Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Encouragement

Encouragement. What a simple word. Is it simple to encourage others? How about when you are discouraged? How about when the person who needs encouragement has hurt you and discouraged you in the past? Is it simple, easy, to encourage others? It takes effort to encourage. It takes energy. It takes strength. It sometimes takes being humble. Sometimes it means being forgiving, empathetic, understanding. The greatest thing is that God calls us to lift others up, if we seek Him first, then He will help us be what we need to be to encourage and help others. God wants us to help others, to fellowship with other believers, to love people as He loves them. God, creator of the world, forgave and forgives me, understands me, is my strength, encourages me on a daily basis. Who am I to not put effort in doing the same for His children?

I hope you take time to read some of my most favorite verses, they truly are better encouragement than words I can come up with:

"You have searched me, LORD, and you know me.  You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;  your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand when I awake, I am still with you."     Psalm 139: 1-18


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"If I am in a position to punish, chances are very good that I am also in a position to teach. Today I reduce the odds that punishment may be necessary by taking the opportunity to teach." ~Anonymous~

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