The Power of Encouragement

By theteachersdevotional3 hours ago

Core Scripture: “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

Message: Encouragement. We all need it. For people like me who struggle with being hard on myself, encouragement is like fresh cold water, cooling my parched throat in a desert of self-doubt. One drop of it helps me forge on to my next step.

Take last Sunday for example. I was going through Q school with my F3 buddies, learning how to lead others, and those negative voices flooded my mind with an avalanche of nonsense. You can’t do this. You’ll never get the words right. Other guys do this so much better than you. Just sit back and watch them lead. You are not a leader. All lies of course.

My friends saw my hesitation. Before I knew it, all of them were peppering me with positive comments. It’s alright! You got this, Hooked on Phonics. It just takes practice. Nobody is judging you. Start over if you need to. I had no choice but to keep trying. And by the end of the morning, I knew I was a better leader and more comfortable in taking a Q to lead a beatdown.

Then there is my buddy at Amazon. He calls me OG Clint, so naturally I call him OG Chris. My favorite thing is to run into OG Chris as we are picking at the end of the day. My legs are jello by that point, and sometimes I just want to curl up in a fetal position and suck my thumb. But there is OG Chris, parading down the aisle with purpose in his stride.

“OG Clint is in da building!” he bellows. “Cart coming into D block!”

He always gives me the official Amazon handshake, a fist bump, and engages me with comments like, “You good, OG Clint?” That inspires me. I find myself giving more fist bumps to others because of him. We all need a fist bump to power through the last few hours, and many times I will plant myself next to OG Chris just to experience that encouragement.

I also try to encourage others by however the Holy Spirit leads. Recently I was reminded by my friend Heath the power of a handwritten note. God put it on my heart to write some notes to a few of my cherished friends at work. OG Chris got the first note. Supergirl got the second one. I found out later that it brought her to tears since it was her last day before moving to Wichita.

I just hope that the two notes I have in my Amazon bag to give out this week don’t cause the same reactions!

You can encourage someone else in so many different ways. A heartfelt compliment. A text to an old friend you haven’t connected with in a while. An inspirational song or scripture sent at just the right time. Even a smile can go a long way. Just something to let someone else know they are loved. They matter.

Finally, one of the most forgotten ways to encourage is to encourage yourself. Self-talk is vital! Speak it audibly if you need to. Others might think you are crazy, but hey, if that gets you to the next level, why not? It reminds me of that old Saturday Night Live recurring character, Stuart Smalley. “I’m good enough, I am smart enough, and doggone it, people like me.”

I was playing my son in one-on-one last week on the driveway. The kid can school his dad on most days, but my self-talk led me to take him out in a game of PIG. Before each shot, I would say things like, “I got this,” or “This one feels good!” He was so irate that he lost to dad that he challenged me to a game of one-on-one.

My quickness was lacking. I played him the only way I knew how … backing him into the post, using quick hook shots and fadeaway jumpers on offense and daring him to shoot from the outside on defense. The wind was swirling, and of course his pride took over, trying to beat me with 3-pointers. My self-talk led me to beat him not once but twice. Quite the feat!

We spent an hour on the court. Such quality time with my son! I had to take a breather, sitting down and allowing the cool spring air to cool me off. My son challenged me to one more game, just to prove that he was better than me, and guess what? He did. Even my self-talk couldn’t top his youthful spirit a fourth time.

I ruffled his hair as we walked inside together.

“I promise I won’t tell anyone that your dad beat you tonight,” I chided him.

“I’ll get you next time, Dad,” he replied.

Sometimes the best encouragement comes in the form of a challenge. Game on!

Challenge: Who in your life needs encouragement this week? Write them a note. Send them a song or scripture. Book a date for coffee, or just give them a compliment. One drop of encouragement goes a long way!

Bible study: Journal about or discuss the following questions …