Encouragement

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Roman 12:2a

If it is encouraging, let him encourage…Roman 12:8a

I am an encourager.  God has called me to this.  The problem lies in the fact that I didn’t know how to encourage others.  Yet this passage in Roman states clearly how to learn.  Don’t conform, or follow the ways of this world.  Allow God to transform me, to bring out the encourager in me.

Once I got on board with developing this gift, I began to learn.  An encourager has a smile on her face most of the time.  As posted before, I need to put the smile of faith on.  To encourage is to really listen and see.  Use God’s eyes to see beyond what is there and hear beyond what is said.  (Not to say develop supernatural powers, but to tap into the supernatural spirit that indwells you.)

To encourage I must have patience.  Patience to allow the other to speak, not jump right into rescue mode.  Patience to keep going when I see no fruit from my actions.  Patience to wait on the right opportunity.  Patience to obey God even when I don’t see how my little action could possible change things.

Most important to encourage is to keep the focus on Jesus.  To always point to Him. 

To do this, I must know Jesus.  I must have scripture in my head, even if I don’t know the address of the scripture.