"Encouragement Encounters"

We had an amazing and extremely busy weekend at Skipstone. Liberty Hill Church of Canton and Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church of Atlanta both had retreats here this weekend, which we facilitated ziplines for at 10:00pm on Friday and Saturday evenings.

We also took six of our staff to Eagles Landing FBC to facilitate recreation and team building for over 200 middle school students as a part of their Disciple Now weekend. It was a very challenging weekend, but it was awesome to know that we were a small part of the great work God did in the hearts of young people. We know of at least 57 students who prayed to receive Christ as their personal savior this weekend.

We spent time on Sunday after church with a young couple who feels that God is calling them into camp ministry. We enjoyed a nice lunch together and just spent some time encouraging one another in the ministry.

That brings me to what's on my heart this morning... the wonderful ministry of encouragement. While not everyone we meet is unkind or rude, meeting an encourager is becoming a rare thing. If you want an interesting lesson on encouragement, take a note pad along with you for a week and jot down the times someone speaks a word of encouragement to you. My guess is that most of us could get by with only an index card on which to chronicle our "encouragement encounters" and would still have room to list on our own attempts to encourage someone else.

It might amaze you the same way it amazed me when I took a quick look to see what God's word has to say about encouragement. Throughout scripture, we find hundreds of references related to the ministry of encouragement. One of the most notable is found in Ephesians 4:29 "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

If we could ever grasp that one verse, it would be transformational in our lives, but "building up others" is so contrary to our flesh that we are far more prone to build up ourselves than to consider the needs of others. Even more sad is the reality that we often tear down or criticize others in the process of building up ourselves. We are indeed selfish people!

As I've prayed through this today, I've considered what I need to do in order to become a better encourager. I think the first step is to realize the power of our words. Proverbs 18:21 says "The tongue has the power of life and death". Life & death..... seriously? I don't think most of us consider the reality that every word that proceeds from our mouth either speaks life or speaks death. On the other hand, can't you remember a time when even the smallest, seemingly insignificant words of "death" or discouragement spoken to you injured you in way you didn't think was possible? The old adage the "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" could not be further from the truth!

Once we realize the power of our words, we must adopt an Ephesians 4:29 "filter" through which every word we speak is filtered. In other words, is what I am about to say going to pass the test? Is is wholesome? Is it helpful? Will it build the other person up? Will it meet their needs? Is it beneficial for them? If I'm honest, that kind of "filter" would cripple my ability to communicate.... so much of what I say is just rubbish! I just don't see how I can discipline myself to that point.

Which brings me to my last step.... we must recognize that becoming an encourager doesn't start with our tongues or our mouths, it starts with our hearts. What comes out of or mouths starts in our hearts, so we need to get this right at the source. Matthew 15:18 says "But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean'." This is great news to me..... because I have already recognized the condition of my heart. I join Jeremiah in calling it what it is "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked" Jer. 17:9

I know my heart, but I also know who resides in my heart! The same Jesus who took up residence in my heart when I surrendered my life to Him as a young man is the source of strength that I need in order to surrender my thoughts and words through the filter of His word each day. John 15:5 "..apart from me you can do nothing."

So here's the challenge.... when is the last time you spoke a word of encouragement to someone. How long has it been since you sent an email to encourage a brother or sister in Christ? Are you guilty of bypassing the Ephesians 4:29 filter and speaking unwholesome words that tear down and discourage?

Although I remember a lot of the words of "death" that have been spoken to me over the years, I've overcome a lot of that pain by the words of "life" that people have spoken to me too. I have a file in my desk filled with hundreds of cards and letters of encouragement that students, friends, relatives, and even strangers have sent me through the years. When I get discouraged and think ministry just isn't worth it, I open that file and I'm reminded of the opportunities that God has given me to make a difference, and how those that I took the time to encourage have now become a source of encouragement to me.

Each one of us knows someone who needs a word of encouragement today. Let's choose to be encouragers and be a part of building someone up in Christ today!

Whatever It Takes,
Chip