Tag: encouragement

Under Construction

On By vickleaIn Admonition, encouragement, Scripture1 Comment

When you see a sign like this, do you rush to get around it or do you look closely to see how much progress is being made? I think the answer depends on how much you have at stake in the completed project. How interested are you in it, in other words?

We recently had a new Dunkin Donuts being built in a nearby town. My husband who loves all things coffee and donuts commented every time we went by about whether they were making significant progress or not. It was just completed, and of course, he went to check it out. How could he not when he was watching them build it? His interest was piqued and he couldn’t wait to see it all done.

We are all buildings under construction, and sometimes others are interested in what is being built and want to help us along to being completed. Others just want to gawk and keep going. But there is a third group that wants to try to tear down whatever has already been built. How do some help and others tear down? God is the builder, and some help by encouraging us in our walk with Him. We may not have a roof and be leaking, but God is repairing, replacing and restoring as fast as we will allow Him to do so. We have to be open to the changes in our hearts and attitudes that need to occur in order to complete the building. In order to be open to the changes, we need encouragement from others, especially those who have already experienced some of what we are going through.

When we encourage others, we get encouraged ourselves. We are a community of believers, not a one-man show.

The ones who discourage us are those with disparaging remarks, like, “You say you’re a Christian, but I’m just not seeing it.” Or, “If you’re such a good Christian, why do you use the language you do sometimes?” You know what I mean. We are Under Construction, meaning God is still working on us. We are not perfect and probably never will be on this side of heaven. But we keep reaching for that perfection and each time the Holy Spirit leads us away from temptation and toward goodness, we are helping to build the person we are supposed to be. Unbelievers don’t understand the whole thing about not being finished yet. They expect us to be super-Christians, without sin or errors or any humanity left in us. Only Christ would meet their expectations and they don’t believe in Him. The truth is that we all hear more discouraging remarks every day than the positive ones.

I want to encourage you today to build someone up. Think of someone who can use an encouraging word. Call that person, write him/her a note, go to visit them. Just make a point of being an encourager today. Running errands today? Who might you meet that could use an encouraging word? You have a vested interest in the progress of others because they are your brother or sister in the Lord, or even possibly someone with whom you can share your testimony so that’s they can start on the road to salvation themselves. Remember that we reap what we sow, so let’s all of us sow seeds of encouragement. After all, don’t we want to see everyone a completed and perfect work of God? Heaven awaits. Until then, we are all “Under Construction.”

Unwholesome Talk

On By vickleaIn Admonition, Scripture1 Comment

Just what is “unwholesome talk”? I think it’s the garbage that spews from our mouths because of the garbage that we have put into our minds.

Unwholesome talk is the opposite of helpful talk. What is helpful gives encouragement and is spoken in love. Unwholesome talk tears others down, vindictively and unthinkingly wounding another person with words that cannot be unspoken.

Would you stand in your kitchen and throw the potato peels at someone because you are frustrated with them? Neither should you stand there and “give them a piece of your mind.” They don’t need it or want it. What people will always need is a soft answer, a smile and a word of genuine kindness and encouragement.

The next time you start to spout off without thinking about the harm you are doing, picture yourself throwing garbage at the person. Your words matter, more than you know. And they will go with that person on their life journey for many days, weeks, months and even years. Words, like the stink of garbage, cannot be recalled, so be careful to say the words that build rather than destroy.

Who Is an Evangelist?

On By vickleaIn Admonition, promises, Scripture3 Comments

The simple answer to this question is that we all are. Some are more vocal than others and some have evangelism as their profession, but we have all been called to be evangelists, to share the good news about Jesus.

In the devotional this morning that I read about evangelism, I chuckled when the speaker in the video reminded us that we don’t plant seeds and then stand and yell at them to grow. Our responsibility is just to plant the seeds and that can look like a lot of different things.

We can encourage someone when they need a pat on the shoulder, a hug or a kind word. Speaking of kindness, we should always be kind to others no matter what kind of day we are having or the mood we are in. There is never an excuse for rudeness. In today’s world of selfishness and entitlement, it is evident that rudeness seems to be prevalent. That is why Christians can stand out and consistently offer kindness as our banner, not demands. And, of course, we can share our testimony with others about the difference Christ has made in our lives.

The last one is the hardest one for me because of my introverted nature. But I know that if I have established a relationship with another person, then it is easier for me to talk to them about my past, where I came from and how my life changed. I think one of the keys of a good evangelist is establishing relationships, not just preaching the gospel and expecting people to take your word for it.

Regardless of how we do the job that Jesus tasked us to do while we wait for His return, we are not in this alone. Evangelism is a team effort. We are the seed sowers while others who come behind us may be the ones who water or give nutrients to the new plant. We do what we feel the Spirit prodding us to do and then let God take over. That relieves us of the burden of thinking that is all on us…it isn’t and God’s Word tells us that.

Our purpose in evangelism is not so that others can see us and offer us any kind of recognition. Rather, it is to just go and tell. We tell with encouragement, kindness and our testimony. We tell with words from God’s Word. God will bring the growth but the seeds have to be planted first and that is our responsibility.

Final Reality

On By vickleaIn prayer, Scripture, YouVersion AppLeave a comment

From YouVersion Devotional, “In a Boat in the Middle of a Lake”, Day 2

There is one thing we don’t want you to miss. We want to encourage you that our deepest hurt is also where our greatest hope emerges. While we experience pain and loss, those circumstances are also the fertile soil for new beginnings. For new life. For a new day.

Accepting hurt never means you are over the hurt. It means you’ve come to grips that this reality really is yours. It’s your boat. Your lake. You’re coming to terms with the fact that, with every death, there is new life.

This is one of the things that is so beautiful about this short and sad book of Lamentations. Right in the middle of the hurt and pain there is the promise of new life. Like a protest to the pain, there is this proclamation of God’s goodness and the newness of life in him.

We know it might seem impossible to envision right now. We know there may be things we’ve lost that we’ll never get back. But biblical hope enables us to see differently. To see our pain, feel it, but not be consumed by it. To see through it and see God’s purpose for it.

Hope reminds us that our current reality is not our final reality.

“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope,” the writer of Lamentations says. This reality, this season, these circumstances, this hurt will not last forever. It doesn’t have to last forever. God wants to give you hope. His hope.

Here’s the good news. Even Jesus experienced pain; he entered pain for us and felt the weight of our pain in a way that we will never know. He lamented, cried, questioned, and even asked God to change the plan.

“Abba Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36).

Jesus accepted the pain and endured it. He was crucified for us. But he was also raised to new life for us. There was glory in the pain and glory on the other side of the pain.

There can be the same for you. Today. Right here, right now. It’s okay to not be okay.

My Thoughts

I am always thankful that my current situation is not my final reality. It’s not that my current situation is awful or anything. It’s just not what I really want in my life. I would like to be closer to children and grandchildren, but I am thankful that I get to visit them or they visit me. I would like so many repairs done around our old house, but I am thankful for the shelter it provides and the warmth and comfort I find here. I find myself looking back in my life and all I have been through and knowing that, without a doubt, God was right there beside me in that rocking boat or walking in the wilderness. A childhood that was not ideal. God was there, even though I didn’t recognize it at the time. A marriage that was rocky at times. God was right there, and during those times, I knew it and prayed to Him for resolution and reconciliation. A stroke that could have taken my life…God was there and I was praying to Him, even though I could not speak aloud. I am still learning the lesson that my timing is not God’s. It does no good for me to point to my watch or my gray hair, explaining to God that the time is short and He needs to act faster. He acts according to His timetable and His timing is always perfect. I may not understand it, but I can trust in His love for me. I am thankful that whatever happens, the final reality of my life will be so much better than I can ever imagine!

Here is my prayer for each of you today. God bless you in your current circumstances and help you hold onto the hope that wherever you are is not your final reality.

Run Your Race in Your Lane

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion AppLeave a comment

www.bible.com/reading-plans/9114/day/6

We have such a competitive spirit in our nation. We want to be the best at all that we do, and we are so busy striving for that number one position that we forget that one of our purposes is to encourage others. Instead, we have a tendency to tear others down and make them feel small so we can feel bigger. I like the concept that we are in a race, as described in the Bible. I also like that we each have lanes to be in and we are running an individual race, not a competition. We are all supposed to keep our eyes on Jesus, not on each other, especially the shortcomings of others. When we feel as though we just have to say something negative, we need to remember that the person to whom we are speaking those words is a special creation of God, He made them and He is working on them in their race just as He works on us in ours. Running life’s race can be challenging, so let’s offer each other a hand up instead of stomping our foot down on others. We are not here to compare ourselves to others and rejoice when we think we are better. We are here to help each other along the way and our only model of comparison is Jesus, our Lord.

Encourage Others

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App1 Comment

www.bible.com/reading-plans/13828/day/3

Jesus went around encouraging others by His words and His actions. Can we do any less? If you are feeling discouraged, I urge you to pick yourself up and find someone who needs encouragement. In encouraging others, you yourself will be encouraged. I know this because I have done it. When I least feel like being upbeat and encouraging, if I will go ahead and say positive words and demonstrate positive actions, then I end up not only helping the other person but also myself.

My Encouragement for Today

On By vickleaIn Scripture1 Comment

Remember when you didn’t worry at all about anything because you knew your parents were taking care of everything for you? Food was prepared and served for you, clothes were purchased, rides were arranged or provided. I never remember getting one single bill during my childhood. My parents just did what parents do, they took care of us. And like most children, we just took their provision and care for granted.

As an adult, we are assaulted on every side by things that could cause us great concern. I say “could” because if we are leaning in to our Heavenly Father, we know that He is caring and providing for us just as our loving parents used to do. The storms of life are many and unexpected, but nothing surprises God and He is a stable rock for us to cling to in a sea of change that threatens to overwhelm us.

Lest you think I must be going through a really tough time right now, I’m not, at least not currently. But life has a tendency to throw curve balls when we least expect them, so I am clinging to this Scripture to help me through whatever comes next. God holds on to me just as I hold on to Him and His promises. The verse clearly says I will help you. It doesn’t get any better than that. He is as close as our hand reaching out and promises His assistance, no matter what we may need. He is our steadfast source of strength and ready to battle with us against the waves of life. He may not take us out of the storm. In fact, in my experience, that rarely happens. However, He is there in the storm with us, calming our hearts so that we can make it through to the calm that awaits us after the storm passes. Storms of life come and go, but our God is always there. Always!

Where Do You Get Your Encouragement?

On By vickleaIn Scripture1 Comment

All of us have days in which we just feel like we cannot do one more thing for one more person, not even ourselves. We are plodding along in life and then something happens to force us to take stock of where we have been and where we are going. That pause, that quiet moment, even when I feel as though I am asking God for answers, is the time when I get the greatest encouragement.

Most of us don’t have a team of cheerleaders shouting for us to keep going, that we can make it, But the Bible tells us that we do have a “cloud of witnesses,” the great patriarchs who have gone before us and perhaps loved ones who have already passed away. They are our cheering section. But God is our great encourager.

Sometimes, I feel as though I had plans and then life happens and the plans fall through. But God’s plans never fail. He is faithfully loving and will never abandon me, leaving me to wander alone aimlessly searching for purpose. He has given me a purpose and He has a plan. Even at my advanced age, I am still useful to God’s big blueprint plan for mankind. I was reminded of that when I visited my son and his family and was asked repeatedly to tell stories from the Bible by the children. They are hungry for God’s word and I had the knowledge to share with them. I think that is part of God’s plan, for me and for them.

I must confess that as my body ages, I tire more easily, and some days I just want to stop doing. But God in His mercy gives me the grace and strength to keep going, reminding me that He is still working on me as I work for Him. Because God is my great encourager, He will not sit idly by while I throw a “pity party.” He invites Himself to attend and reminds me of all that He has done for me so that the party meant to take place in the Land of the Mollygrubs ends up being held in the Land of Thankfulness and Gratitude. God will always be there, continuing His work in me, until He calls me home. And I pray that I will be willing and able to continue my work for Him all the way to the blessed end of my life here on earth.