(Submitted By Kerry
Patton)
“Therefore
encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians
5:11
“If You Can’t
Say Anything Nice…
…don’t say anything at all.” I’ve known a few persons that if they lived
by this simple proverb, they’d likely never say another word. They just have nothing nice to say. They’re hyper-critical, deeply jaded, and
worse; seem loaded for bear anytime there is an opportunity to drop an
atom-bomb of negativity.
Feeling the frustrations of the American scrutiny toward
his Presidency, Lyndon B. Johnson is credited with having said: “If one morning
I walked on top of the water across the Potomac River, the headline that
afternoon would read: ‘President Can’t Swim.’”
Wow. That’s tough!
Tell me, have you ever been hungry for encouragement? Not
compliments. Encouragement. I’ll tell you that I have. No, it wasn’t that I was experiencing esteem
problems. It seemed that I had a mission problem. I didn’t know how to keep going. I had lost
my motivation. Why do we sometimes get
this way?
Well, I’ve observed that from time to time, life is
simply just a beating! Have you been
there? There are times when you’ve
poured your heart and energy into your world and find yourself exhausted –
mentally and physically, looking around and feeling like no one really
cares. Whether they do or not is not the
point. It’s how you feel. Perhaps a project or task has run on and on
until it seems like it’s never going to end.
I had one gentleman tell me that he just wanted to feel like what he was
doing really mattered. “I’ve lost sight
of the prize…” he said. “It seems like
I’m just going through the motions.” We
can come to this place in a number of parts of life: our jobs, our marriages,
or our walk with the Lord… Yes, even there.
Here’s the Pitch:
At any given moment on any given day, we may find
ourselves surrounded by people who are starving for encouragement. I’ve been there, and it’s very likely you
have as well…and we have what they need: Encouragement. Uplifting.
Hope. A kind word delivered with
a smile. Are we going to hold it
back? Will we keep it to ourselves, or
will we feed the hungry?
Galatians 6:9-10 shows that God is aware that our hearts
can grow tired of the chase: “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we
will reap if we do not grow weary. 10So then, while we have opportunity,
let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household
of the faith.” NASV We see here that we are not
merely doing good for the sake of doing good, but we are doing good “TO all
people.” Loving people, through our
words, our actions, the investing of our time and attention in
others…encouraging THEM. Ephesians
5:18b-19 encourages us to: “…be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart
to the Lord…” One of the things I enjoy most about my partner in pastoral care –
Donnie O’Fallon, is that he is always prepared with an encouraging word from the
scriptures. In fact, he says that he prepares for this every morning. He seeks out that word of encouragement from
the Word of God that he might have a word to share with whomever he
encounters! I love that! It’s very much like he goes to his pantry
saying to himself “Okay, today I’m going
to encounter hungry people. What will I
give them to eat?”
·
People are hungry for encouragement.
· Feed the hungry...And feed them
the Bread of Life!
There is something very special happening in our culture
these days. We are remembering how to
say “Thank you.” I’m seeing it more and more. Soldiers are coming home from the
Middle East and large groups of people are gathering at the airport to cheer
and applaud them as they arrive. People
are stopping policemen and firemen and telling them how much they are
appreciated. Essentially – “Everyday, you
put your life on the line for our city.
I appreciate that and I thank you.
Thank you so much!” I see
first responders and soldiers in café’s and restaurants and other patrons will
pay their lunch ticket for them as an expression of thanks.
I’ve been at dinner with Paul and Didi Wright before Paul
retired, and if he happened to be wearing his Air Force service uniform, it was
not uncommon for persons to come up to our table and thank him for
serving. These individuals are very
visible to us. But there are others
around us who are virtually invisible. Oh, we see them all the time, but don’t
*see them*. I’m speaking of coworkers,
our spouses, our children, our parents, check-out clerks, grocery sackers,
secretaries, garbage collectors, postal workers, the servers at the diner…and
on and on. Stop them. Look into their eyes and tell them: “I
appreciate everything that you do. Thank
you for serving and helping us!”
To the struggling or hurting, the wounded and weary…and
you don’t have to look hard to find them.
They are everywhere! To these,
speak from your own story of survival.
“I know these days are hard. I’ve
been there myself. I didn’t think I
would survive, but I did. Tell me your
name and I will pray with you and for you.
You’re going to make it through this.
Keep moving. Keep swimming. Don’t stop.
You are almost there!”
They’re out there…everywhere. Go feed the hungry.
Prayer
Almighty God, make me
an encourager. Fill me with your words of help and hope. Open my eyes to see
those around me who are falling and failing, and help me be bold to speak and
lift them up. In Jesus’ name I pray,
Amen.
