Encouragement

I would dare to say there isn't a single one of you who would say they never need encouragement. There are times when we feel alone, confused, discouraged, and even a bit lost. That is why we have each other.

Never though, are we told to "encourage" that it's OK we continue to fail, aren't listening to God as we should be, or aren't passionately following and sharing about Jesus Christ. So the questions I ask of you today are: How have you been encouraged? and, Who have you encouraged? according to God's Word? 

Encouragement must not always be in word only. There are many avenues of it in Scripture. The following verses are just some of the references to encouragement. See if you can discover some more are you read His Word on your own.

Today, is a day for Scripture: It, of course, says it best. I pray you read these and are encouraged today.

2 Corinthians 7:4

⁴ I have great confidence in you; I have great pride in you. I am filled with encouragement; I am overcome with joy in all our afflictions.

Ephesians 6:21-22

²¹ Tychicus, our dearly loved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything so that you also may know how I am and what I'm doing. ²² I am sending him to you for this very reason, to let you know how we are and to encourage your hearts.

Colossians 2:1-3

¹ For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you, for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me in person. ² [I want] their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding, and have the knowledge of God's mystery  —Christ. ³ In Him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden.

1 Thessalonians 2:11-12

¹¹ As you know, like a father with his own children, ¹² we encouraged, comforted, and implored each one of you to walk worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

1 Thessalonians 5:5-11

 ⁵ For you are all sons of light and sons of the day. We're not of the night or of darkness. ⁶ So then, we must not sleep, like the rest, but we must stay awake and be sober. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. ⁸ But since we are of the day, we must be sober and put the armor of faith and love on our chests, and put on a helmet of the hope of salvation. ⁹For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰ who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. ¹¹ Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.

2 Timothy 4:1-3

 ¹ Before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom, I solemnly charge you: ² proclaim the message; persist in it whether convenient or not; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching. ³ For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will accumulate teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear something new.

Hebrews 3:12-14

¹² Watch out, brothers, so that there won't be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that departs from the living God. ¹³ But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today , so that none of you is hardened by sin's deception. ¹⁴ For we have become companions of the Messiah if we hold firmly until the end the reality that we had at the start.

How Do We Hear God?

My youngest  and I had an interesting conversation the other night while putting him to bed. He asked me if it would be OK to take two stuffed animals to class instead of just one while learning about how God created the animals, so I told him to pray about it and see what God says. He then asked me the question we all would love the exact answer for: How do I hear God and know what He's saying?

I told him that the first, and best way, is by seeing if it is in the Bible. Many of our questions can be answered if we search throughout the entire Bible with a thorough concordance, a detailed topical reference, and decent cross referencing. (Don't worry- I just told my six year old to look all through the Bible. I'll save the rest of that for when he's 12...)

However, there are many other things that are not specifically mentioned in there. Which coffee shop should I go to today? Which of my friends needs encouraging most? Should I help with the children's choir or participate in adult choir?  Which Beth Moore study should I do next....? Some things have to be discerned, and that concept can be intimidating. If it isn't, remember: You are made of sinful flesh and must stand before the Righteous and  Holy God. A little fear and trembling is good for the soul.

So how do we discern? First, go back to the best way: You must be in the Word. Even if the answer is not there, Jesus - the Word made flesh (John 1:14), must be fresh in our hearts and mind. You also must develop your line of communication with Him. That means prayer. Not the wish-list, vending machine with happy pills, kinds of prayer, but honest talking and listening. The more you listen, the better you get at hearing. Remember 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, "Pray constantly." It is possible, but it takes practice and discipline.

Now comes the hardest thing of all: Just have faith and step out. If you are in the Word and listening to God with the best of your ability, trust Him that He won't let you go astray. Because He won't. Give Him permission to do whatever it takes to stop you from straying from His will, and be honest with Him when your confused. He already knows.

If you've done all the above and still haven't felt that "special feeling", just trust Him! Because most of the time we won't. Oh, we will have a peace, but don't expect the goose-bumpy stuff as the only affirmation. Remember, "We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) So let's act like we truly believe that.

So did God tell my son he could bring two stuffed animals? There wasn't a yes or a no...

There was a fever.

How Real Is Too Real?

How real is too real?

There are things we know God has not explained to us because there is no way we could comprehend them. 1 John 3:2 tells us that, "...we are God's children now, and what we will be has not not yet been revealed." Then again in Revelation 10:4, John heard what the seven thunders spoke, but was told seal it up; to not write it down. Ecclesiastes 3:7 also tells us there is "...a time to be silent and a time to speak."

So the question - or, in point of fact, the quest - is for us to find the right balance of truth, love, wisdom, passion, and compassion.

As much as I would love for there to be a distinct formula for this, there is really only one answer: Ask God daily for the wisdom to know what to say and when to say it. For every day, every person, and every circumstance is different. Then listen. Listen for the Spirit to move your heart and tongue in the right direction. Listen with faith, knowing that God desires for the light, love, and wisdom of His Son Jesus Christ to shine through you. And pray. "Pray constantly," so that you "Don't stifle the Spirit." (1 Thessalonians 5:17, 19)