We need people like Paul, who “gave constant encouragement, lifting their spirits and charging them with fresh hope.” (Acts 20:2)
The world needs more encouragers like Joseph, who so ferociously energized people that he earned the name Barnabas — which means “Son of Encouragement.”
We need more encouragers like my friend, Pastor Dave, who pours himself out by praying faithfully. Dave devotes his life to seeing (and pointing out!) the goodness in others.
We need more people who pray when they say they’ll pray,
who will bring the covered dish to the widow’s doorstep,
who will leave a comment on the lonely blog,
who will leave a note in the lonely mailbox,
who will celebrate someone’s success, rather than envy it,
who will tell people they like their style, their voice, their dry sense of humor.
This world needs more encouragers like Holley, and Lisa-Jo, and Sandra, and Ann, and Laura, and Lyla, and Shelly, and Deidra, and Michelle.
The world needs more card-senders, and grace-spenders, and hand-extenders, and relationship-menders.
We need people who are living loved. We need people with hearts so sufficiently full of God’s grace that they can’t help but leak love onto the people around them.
This is a wild world, you know? It’s a shaky, unpredictable, whacked-out world sometimes. You don’t know what’s coming tomorrow. You don’t have a clue where the pink-slips will get dropped, or which worst-case scenario will dial your number. You don’t know who will reject you, fight you, criticize you, belittle you, ignore you, judge you.
So you’ve just got to know you matter a little bit right now. This moment. Encouragement might be the fuel you need to make it through the next mile.
Yeah. The world needs more encouragers.
And here’s the way: Go first.
Let’s be first!
Let’s be the first ones to live loved, pour grace, risk the hug, send the note, celebrate the success of someone else, Tweet a little bit of encouragement in the direction of the one whom no one notices.
Yeah, the world needs more people like Paul and Barnabas. But they don’t live here anymore.
And yes, the world needs more people like Dave. But Dave is heading into the operating room at 7:30 a.m. on Friday morning so a surgeon can remove the tumor from his brain.
The world needs more encouragers.
Let it begin here.
With you.
With me.
Read more encouragement by Jennifer in The Black Friday Miracle
Jennifer Dukes Lee used to cover crime, politics, and natural disasters as an award-winning news journalist in the Midwest. Now, Jennifer uses her reporting skills to chase after the biggest story in history: the redemptive story of Christ. Soon, her words will make their way into her debut nonfiction Christian book, Love Idol: Letting Go of Your Need for Approval – and Seeing Yourself through God’s Eyes.She and her husband live on the Lee family farm in Iowa with their two daughters.
To learn more about the author, please visit Jennifer Dukes Lee
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