A Word Of Encouragement

A Word of Encouragement

Pray.

This morning I want to speak on the topic of Encouragement. I personally believe it is the most essential ingredient , other than Jesus Christ, in the life of every believer.

Encouragement keeps people moving forward. Encouragement keeps people feeling positive about what they are doing, it keeps them refreshed. In contrast Discouragement often times frustrates people into quitting something, whether it be for the Lord or in a secular sense.

I am here this morning to tell you that Encouragement amongst the church body is essential if it is going to succeed.

As Christians, we will walk out into the world in about an hour or so. And the world is ready to discourage you, not as a person but as a follower of Jesus. Fueled by the devil, the world hates Christians. Satan will send people constantly to you, to DISCOURAGE you. And many times Satan has caused a Christian to give up. He or she simply gets tired of the Attacks of Discouragement and they succumb to those discouraging words.

But here’s the problem. See, what we must understand is this, Satan’s job is to Discourage God’s children and he does it well. BUT it is our JOB to ENCOURAGE our fellow believers, and the sad fact is many of us don’t do that and Satan’s Discouraging Words often times out number Our Encouraging Words.

Our Encouraging Words are the Antidote to Satan’s Discouraging Words.

Now ask yourself this question before we get started here this morning, When is the last time you spoke words of encouragement to another person, especially to a fellow believer?

Or is your conversation always about YOU. What’s wrong with you, What you are doing, How much you have, How much you don’t have. I personally believe we could ALL become better Encouragers especially to our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

I want you to open your Bible’s to the book of Galatians in the NT. And look at chapter 6:10.

We are commanded here in this verse, at every opportunity we have to do good unto all men ESPECIALLY unto them who are of the household of faith.

The household of faith is another term for the church family. We are told at the moment of our salvation God is our Father in Matthew 6:9.

And we are His children according to 2 Cor.6:18. So understand, once you accept Jesus as your personal Savior, you are never alone. You may be an only child, but if you are a child of God , You are a part of a huge family. You are surrounded by a family on earth with unending fellowship and an eternal home.

Psalm 68:6 says, God sets the solitary in families. Meaning God takes the lonely individual and places them in a large, beautiful family at the moment of their salvation.

Folks, we’re family. We are the household of faith.

Let me drive this point home clearly with the verses found in Luke 8:19-21.

Vs. 19 Then came to him his mother and his brethern and could not come at him for the press. Vs. 20. And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethern stand without, desiring to see thee.

Vs. 21. And Jesus answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethern are these which hear the word of God and do it.

Jesus said, anyone who hears, receives and obeys the word of God is my family.

And we are told here in Galatians 6:10 to do good to every person but ESPECIALLY to our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

And how much better can you do for someone than to offer an Encouraging Word? Some would say money, and there are times when that is necessary. Some would say, by performing a physical service, maybe cutting grass for someone, fixing a household item, etc, which at times is necessary and wonderful for someone to do, BUT I believe on a daily basis, there is nothing better than a simple word of Encouragement.

Legendary Basketball coach, John Wooden wrote of having learned from his dad the importance of encouraging others with a kind spirit. Wooden grew up in Centerton, Indiana . Gravel pits were scattered around the area and farmers would often take their mules to the pits to haul out loads of gravel to use in building roads. Some pits were deeper than others, and it was sometimes tough for a team to pull out a wagon filled with gravel.

One steamy summer day, wrote Wooden, a young farmer about 20 years old or so, was trying to get his team of horses to pull a fully loaded wagon out of the pit. He was whipping and cursing those two beautiful plow horses that were frothing at the mouth, stomping and pulling back from him. Dad watched for a whild and then went over and said to the young farmer, Let me take em for you.