Studies

Encouragement - Lesson 4

When asked to help out, what is your attitude?
Philippians 2:14 Do everything without complaining or arguing,...

Do you complain that you already have too much to do, or you just do not have the time? Do you argue and think "Why me? I don't even know them!" Now may be the time for a heart check.

'Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the fields, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'we are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'
Luke 17: 7-10

Is this your attitude - one that is saying, 'I am just doing my job?' It needs to be!

See the Funny Side
Remember to keep your sense of humor. Find something funny in a bad day. Don't forget to laugh at yourself, and with others. When you leave a message on someone's machine, get a little silly every now and then. Help brighten up their day by telling a joke or by telling them something that happened to you that was embarrassing but funny.

Be Thankful
And remember to be grateful for all you have. If you have not done it already, take the time to think and pray about everything and everybody you have in your life to be grateful for. Make a list of everything you have to be grateful for, and keep it handy so that you will be able to go back and look at it every now and then. Living here in Canada, there is so much we take for granted. We do not stop to think about the roof over our heads, the food we eat, the safety we live in. Once you spend the time to think of all you have, it is so much easier to want to go out and do something for somebody else. Who knows what the final outcome of your good deed may be, no matter how small it was.

You Can Make a Difference
There has been more then one occasion when I set out to encourage someone just for the sake of encouraging them, only to have that person come back sometime later and tell me that my small act of kindness kept them faithful - that at the time, they almost did not come to church that day, and were thinking of falling away. But their faith was strengthened because of what I did for them. Is there anything more important or more encouraging that you can do for a brother or sister?

Love is Not Rude
You want to be an encouragement in the fellowship, try remembering your manners. I do not know how many stories I have read in the papers over the last four to five years, where they talk about common courtesy and the fact that is not so common anymore.

Do you remember to say 'please' and 'thank you' to other disciples when asking for something? Do you say 'excuse me' when you are trying to get by them? And what is it about doorways and aisles that attract disciples to them, as if there were no other place to stand to fellowship? When trying to get though a crowd of people a little 'excuse me' will go a long way. And if some one does politely ask to get by, smile, say that you're sorry for being in the way, and let them pass. Another simple way to help lift a persons' heart, is to wait your turn to talk to someone, and don't just push your way in and interrupt. Remember Matthew 7:12! Do you like it when others rudely interrupt you?

1 Corinthians 13:5 tells us that love is not rude. If you are being rude, you are not being loving. If you are not loving, you are not going to be encouraging. You have to stop and take the time to think about what you are about to do or say in order to be encouraging. It will take some effort! Again, stop and think about how you would want to be treated in a similar setting.

Lets be like Barnabas
To be known as an encouraging person can be as easy or as hard as you want to make it, but think of how much nicer it would be if we had a church full of Barnabases. How much more fruitful would we be if every visitor could see the love of Christ in every word we spoke, and in our every action? I have already said that it is often the little things that mean the most, but unfortunately, it is the little things we tend to forget first. Let us be Christ-like, let us enjoy serving and enjoy the awesome life we have graciously been given by God.

Points To Remember:

Luke 17:7-10.

Use humor.

Continually count your blessings to motivate yourself.

Ask yourself:" What would Jesus do?" and then do it