Never
underestimate the power of an encouraging word,
From
a mentor or someone trusted, we feel freer than a bird,
Come
on now, you know it, there’s no reason to wait,
Today is the moment; it’s
never too late.
***
Discouragement is the
language of fear, and there are many these days that feel inadequate inside;
who insist on propagating their fear because of the discouragement of others.
Our call is to get beyond these and go on into receiving our encouragement
through trusted mentors or by being the trusted mentor; the person who can be
relied upon to give good news to those who need it.
We all need to be
encouraged. In a world where acceptance and rejection are hardly more poignant,
encouragement works for the mode of acceptance, but discouragement works
perhaps more destructively than we can imagine by matters of rejection.
Of course, in the right
environment discouragement can be the best thing. Sometimes discouragement
urges us on and pushes us where we need to be pushed.
But the vast majority of
the time there is ample discouragement; yes, too much. We are burdened and
broken down with life, and we all need our encouragement.
Becoming Committed to the Ministry of
Building-Up
It is a noble quest to
commit ourselves to the unpaid and unrecognised ministry of building others up;
to express the gift of encouragement anyone can give.
It is good for us, very
good for other people, and so pleasing to God to do this.
Becoming committed to the
ministry of building others up is a gospel quest, where the gospel of God finds
its relevance in love through intentions, words, and actions.
When we are committed to
such a ministry we find ourselves surrendered within the abundance of the
Spirit’s inimitable joy. Once we have surrendered, surrender feels perfectly
natural; our default response. It therefore feels natural and the right thing
to do and God confirms it. God does confirm it.
***
The ministry of
building-up is about construction, cooperation and confirmation. When we
understand that people in our midst are the construction projects of God, we
cooperate with his Spirit and we provide confirmation as to their validity as
thinking, feeling human beings.
The ministry of
building-up is about encouragement. Not everyone has the ‘gift’ of
encouragement, but everyone has a role to encourage those around them; to obey
the will of God.
© 2013 S. J. Wickham.
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