Encouragement 101

ENCOURAGEMENT 101

“Encourage one another; and all the more, as you see the day draw nearing.” (Hebrews 10:25)

“The great thing about encouragement is that anyone can do it,” so writes Ken Sutterfield in his book THE POWER OF ENCOURAGEMENT. “You don’t even have to be a certain age to reach out and come alongside someone and elevate them to greater heights. What you do need is a willingness to put yourself aside and put someone else’s value above your own to give them hope and encouragement.

Words are powerful seeds. Once planted, your words will bring forth flowers or weeds, health or disease, healing or poison. You carry a great responsibility for their use. And the words you write will be remembered.”

Praise is the polish that helps keep self-image bright and sparkling. Encouragement helps rub off the sharp edges of daily contact. Words of encouragement are the most effective method of getting people to do their best. The encouragement of others helps us move from fear to belief to action.

William Barclay writes, ‘One of the highest human duties is the duty of encouragement … It is easy to pour cold water on their enthusiasm. It is easy to discourage others. The world is full of discouragers. We have a Christian duty to encourage one another. Many a time, a word of praise or thanks or appreciation or cheer has a man on his feet.”The question for you today? Are you an encourager or a discourager? Good words to ponder on Saturday, August 15th. -- Bill Welte is President and CEO of America's KESWICK

God's WORD for YOU: Proverbs 15; Psalm 91-93; Romans 15:1-13

Great Quote: As a man, looking steadfastly on a dial, cannot perceive the shadow move at all, yet viewing it after a while, he shall perceive that it hath moved; so, in the hearing of the Word, but especially in the receiving of the Lord's supper, a man may judge even his own faith, and other graces of God, to be little or nothing increased, neither can he perceive the motion of God's Spirit in him at that time; yet by the fruits and effects thereof, he shall afterward perceive that God's Spirit hath little by little wrought greater faith and other graces in him. William Gurnall