Strategic Encouragement

I woke up this morning thinking about encouragement. You know encouragement is a God-given gift in the body of Christ. He gives it to activate people, to get them to move "off the dime", to put courage into someone who would otherwise not have all the ingredients for their motivation recipe. They may have a dream, desire or an assignment and not be moving on it, but when someone comes along and encourages them they feel empowered, they feel gifted, they feel ready and their motivation returns and they begin moving.

Years ago, when I was leading worship at the church I'm now pastoring, as I was headed to church one morning the Lord spoke to me and said, "I want you to be strategic in your use of encouragement this morning." So as I led worship I was scanning the congregation looking for the person or family who I was supposed to encourage. When my eyes landed on this one person I knew my assignment. After the service I went up to them asking them how they were doing and before long the gift of encouragement just began to flow out of me to them. They were so built up, they were so strengthened, they thanked me profusely. It was God's gift with my permission and participation.

Anyway, if you need encouragement today remember this: God is for you not against you. He has placed gifts, desires and purpose into your heart and He does want you to move forward on them. So be encouraged! You can accomplish God's purposes for your life.

Something my pastor said a few weeks ago was "The reason so many people in this world are dying is because so many others have not reached their full potential." What you do matters. What you are supposed to do matters even more. Refocus now on your purpose and how your gift is supposed to work today and do something with your gift - you may save someone's life.
Love ya
Pastor Joe