Encourage Me…Please!

Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds.  —Hebrews 10:24 NLT

Some of the greatest success stories of history have followed a word of encouragement or an act of confidence by a loved one or a trusting friend. Had it not been for a confident wife, Sophia, we might not have listed among the great names of literature the name of Nathaniel Hawthorne. When Nathaniel, a heartbroken man, went home to tell his wife that he was a failure and had been fired from his job in a customhouse, she surprised him with an exclamation of joy.

“Now,” she said triumphantly, “you can write your book!”

“Yes,” replied the man, with sagging confidence, “and what shall we live on while I am writing it?”

To his amazement, she opened a drawer and pulled out a substantial amount of money. “Where on earth did you get that?” he exclaimed.

“I have always known you were a man of genius,” she told him. “I knew that someday you would write a masterpiece. So every week, out of the money you gave me for housekeeping, I saved a little bit. So here is enough to last us for one whole year.” From her trust and confidence came one of the greatest novels of American literature, The Scarlet Letter

God created us with a need to be blessed. God is a God of blessing. Blessing pulls out the destiny that He has placed within us. Deep inside of each of us is a divine purpose waiting to be set free. Books waiting to be written. Races waiting to be run. Plays waiting to be staged. Lives waiting to be lived. Risks waiting to be taken. Beloved, we hold the keys. We have the power to speak curses or blessings into the lives of those we love. Could you unlock the destiny in someone’s life today? All it takes is a word of encouragement… a smile… a hug… a simple “You can do it!”

Is there a book in you waiting to be written?  A song waiting to be sung? A career waiting to be launched? A dream waiting to become reality? What are you waiting for? Go for it! So you make a mistake or two. Who hasn’t made a few of those? Babe Ruth led the majors in strike-outs the same year he hit sixty home runs. Thomas Edison failed thousands of times before he perfected the light bulb. Abraham Lincoln only won two elections in his life after many defeats, but one of his victories was the presidency of the United States.

When you come to the end of your life, you are going to be a “has been,” or a “never was.” The choice is yours. Don’t let the obstacles block the view of your destiny. Remember, bumps are what you climb on. Keep climbing, Beloved!      

“Father, You are the God of all comfort and encouragement. We are never more like You than when we encourage one another. You know how much discouragement there is in this world. God forbid that I add to it. I fulfill my destiny whenever I help others to fulfill theirs. Thank You for believing in me enough to die for me. Thank you for trusting me enough to live Your life in me, through me, for me, and as me. Don’t let me get in Your way or slow You down today. Amen.”

Blessings,

Kenny