You have the power to give life!
Many of the messages we hear from the world are the killing kind. We’re told, “you’re not smart enough; you’re not thin enough; you’re not fast enough; you’re not young (or old) enough; you’re not good enough.” Is it any wonder The Message paraphrase of Proverbs 18:21 says, “Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.”
In a world where people are beat up and beat down, you and I have the opportunity reset the narrative. We have the power to give life by telling others, “you matter to me; your life counts and has purpose; God loves you, and you are incredibly valuable to Him.” Our words may be the only encouragement other people hear. We have the opportunity to be the voice of God’s grace in their lives.
In the New Testament, the word, ‘encouragement’ literally means to come alongside another, to build up. In I Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV), Paul says, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” If you break the world ‘encourage’ into parts (en courage), it gives us the idea of pouring courage into another person.
Every person in your life needs encouragement. So, I hope that this week, your conversations will be filled with phrases like, “I believe in you; I am grateful for you; I see Jesus in you; I appreciate you; I am so thankful God has placed you in my life.” When we encourage each other, when we build up each other, we are better together!
-Mike Johnson