The Quiet Power of Encouragement
For the past couple weeks I’ve been praying for my husband to hear from God on a matter that has being weighing him down. He’d been praying and journaling, but I had a feeling he would hear from God in an unexpected way. Then Sunday morning arrived.
I prayed for him again as we worshipped, and when the service ended I said hello to a family behind us who were visiting from a sister church in Toronto. We chatted for a bit, and then to our surprise, the husband pulled a silver cross from his pocket, looked at my husband and said, “I think God wants me to give this to you.” The cross was engraved with the words of Jeremiah 31:3. “I have loved you with an everlasting love.”
There was nothing conspicuous about this exchange. I don’t think anyone else even noticed. But I saw the way this simple gift hit my husband’s heart. Those were just the words of encouragement he needed to hear, and we both knew it.
There are so many ways we can support our brothers and sisters in Christ, but I believe the gift of encouragement bears some of the greatest fruit. It is a heart gift that we can give anytime, anywhere. And yet, we are sometimes so caught up in our own pressing needs, that we fail to see the opportunities around us.
When my husband and I taught prayer ministry classes, we would always say to people who were anxious about saying something incorrect that you can’t go wrong with truth that encourages. Even if the man who gave my husband the cross had given it to someone else, the words on the cross would still be true for that person. But in that moment, those words were particularly meaningful for my husband.
How often do we shy away from saying simple words of encouragement to the people around us? The person at the reception desk in your doctor’s office may need to know that what they do matters. The person bagging your groceries may need to hear that they have a beautiful smile. Your youth pastor may need to be reminded that God cares for her children too.
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up...”
When we slow down to see the people around us and listen to God’s heart for them, God can move powerfully. Again and again, statistics tell us that many people in our culture feel disconnected and alone. And yet, we know we have a heavenly Father who sees and loves all his children. Sharing this beautiful truth when God nudges us can can spark a heart transformation that we may never see, but that doesn’t mean God isn’t working.
Just recently, my husband and I were mistering in Brazil. After preaching, God highlighted an older woman a few rows from the front. She was praying quietly with her eyes closed. I walked over to her and, with the help of a translator, told her that God hears her prayers and loves her heart. There was really no risk here because the words were undeniably true. She didn’t respond in any noticeable way, so I carried on ministering to others.
The following evening, the woman approached me with her daughter. They shared how much those simple words had meant to her. She then gave me a gift, a beautiful tote bag she had crocheted herself. I was stunned. My eyes welled with tears, and I thanked God for how he had touched this beautiful woman.
My prayer for you today is this…
May you know that you are seen and loved.
May you experience your Father’s heart for you as you rest in him.
May you grow in confidence as you hear his voice.
May the love you receive from God overflow to those around you as you share his heart.
‘Sometimes healing comes by waving the white flag of surrender when everyone else is telling you to stay in the fight.’
