Monday, September 3, 2012

Let God Encourage You

But David found strength in the LORD his God.

-- 1 Samuel 30:6b

David understood what it was like to be alone, without support, without anyone in his corner. What he did in that moment is a lesson to us all. David turned to God and so should we.

Let’s take a look at David’s life so we can truly understand what he faced. King Saul was trying to kill David so David had fled for his life. He had a band of 400 ragtag warriors. They’d gone to offer their services to the Philistines and had returned to Ziklag only to find that the town had been destroyed by the Amalekites, who also had taken all their wives and children.

As is usually the case when things go wrong, somebody was going to get blamed. And that person was David. In fact, his warriors were talking about stoning him to death. This is the point where David turned to God for strength. Can you relate? Do you know how it feels to have the world turn on you, whether it’s justified or not?

“Life had reduced his options to one,” David Jeremiah writes in his book The Joy of Encouragement. “Sooner or later, life does that to all of us.”

Yes, it does. How you handle that moment will determine whether you continue to follow God or whether you give Satan a foothold in your life.

Jeremiah gives some pretty basic advice on what to do when you’re all alone and need encouragement. First, spend time alone with God. Turn off the television, get the earplugs out of your ears and power off your computer. Close the door. Go for a walk. Get somewhere by yourself so that in the stillness you can hear God’s voice.

Second, turn to the Bible. It’s the best life manual you’ll ever own. Make sure that you get a translation you can easily understand and then read it. Jeremiah notes that sometimes it seems we’re more interested in reading a book about the Bible than we are in actually reading the Bible. So start reading.

Where do you look in the Bible for encouragement? Look to the psalms of David. Try Psalm 27:1. Or Psalm 34:4. Consider Psalm 46:1-3. And, again, listen to God. He will lead you to what you need, when you need it.

Lastly, Jeremiah suggests music. It’s such a simple suggestion. And one I’ve used numerous times without ever really thinking about it. When I’m hurting or discouraged, I seek out music that will inspire me and remind me of God’s love.

We can remember that God is with us, walking beside us, or we can blindly lose hope. We can hold on to what we know or we can believe the naysayers all around us. We can build ourselves up or allow Satan -- by using our minds and other people -- to tear us down. Our lives are full of choices. Which choice will you make?

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Encourage Those Around You

Therefore, encourage each other with these words.

-- 1 Thessalonians 4:18

Everyone needs encouragement sometimes. Everyone. The Bible tells us to provide it. To build people up, not tear them down. To encourage and inspire and renew those who are feeling lost, alone, discouraged, without hope.

In his book The Joy of Encouragement, David Jeremiah refers to this as friend therapy. Your words of encouragement could make a person’s day -- or his life. Sometimes all it takes is one word, one touch, and suddenly everything seems right again.

So how do you encourage people? Jeremiah offers four tips that simply make sense. Encouragement doesn’t have to be the grand gesture. In fact, true encouragement happens in the small moments of a day.

First, give someone your focused attention. Don’t answer your cell phone. Don’t respond to a text. Don’t look around at everything and everyone but the person who needs you. Give them your undivided attention and let them know that they’re worth your time. And if you can’t do that, well, where are your priorities?

Second, encourage people through words. But only, as Jeremiah pointed out, after you’ve let them know you care. “Sometimes we open our mouths before we open our hearts, and people can tell the difference,” he says. Probably we’ve all had someone tell us exactly what we need to do, or respond, or behave, without that person ever taking the time to hear us or even try to understand our pain and despair.

Third, encourage people through notes and letters. I’m old-fashioned enough (and a writer!) to think it’s great to actually send a card in the mail. Write a sentence or two of encouragement, put a stamp of it, and send it in the mail. It‘s something physical for the other person to hold and cherish. E-mail is fine for those of you who only use your computer. Just choose your words carefully. So often we’re in a hurry and we really don’t think before we hit “enter.“ Your words will likely have a lasting impact on the other person, whether you ever know it or not.

Fourth, use the power of touch to encourage people. Now let me stress that we have to be careful and sensitive to inappropriate touch. Jeremiah’s not talking about that and neither am I. But there’s something special about a warm hug when you’re feeling all alone or a gentle arm squeeze when life has just kicked you down. It’s a human connection that we all so desperately need.

“When we see people who are discouraged, saddened by the hardships of life, or simply tired of the Christian path of obedience, we need to come alongside and give them a spiritual jump start,” Jeremiah says. True words. True words.