"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."
Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV)
One of my favorite movie quotes comes from "As Good As It Gets" when Jack Nicholson tells Helen Hunt, "You make me want to be a better man." Every time I think of that line it inspires me to be the type of person that compels others to want to be better. I am not an encourager by nature, I have to work at it and even then it often feels awkward, or poorly worded. All too often I find myself thinking something complimentary towards someone but I don't say it for fear of sounding silly or insincere. In other words, rather than taking a risk and possibly brightening someone else's day I often choose to be self-protective hoping that maybe through some weird mental telepathy that person will know what I was thinking. One of my best friends is not like that - she is one of the most encouraging people I know, I love being around her (so do others). She always seems to have encouraging words for others and I really admire that about her.
It would be easy for me to sit back and say, "I'm just not good at that, others will have to do it," but the Bible tells me otherwise. Hebrews 10:24 tells us to "...consider how to stir up one another to love and good works..." The word consider means "to actively think about, to contemplate"; it is full of intentionality. The word stir means "to move to action". This verse tells me that I am supposed to think about how I can encourage others and then act on it. I believe that encouragement is contagious, when I am around encouraging people it lifts me up and I am much more likely to pass it on.
On any athletic team the goal of winning can only be reached if each teammate fills their role. The game is always more fun when everyone does their part. The body of Christ is much like a team: we have the common goal to bring glory and honor to God and yet we each have different roles to fill to accomplish that purpose. This week I encourage you to spend some time thinking about how you can be an "encouraging teammate" to those around you. Let's all aim to be the type of people that compel those in our sphere of influence to be better as well.
- Pam
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