I
would like to be more like the Apostle Paul. Paul begins his letter to the
Philippians with these words. I thank my God every time I remember
you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with
joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on
to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:3-6 (NIV) I really love those words. They are encouraging
and inspiring. I wish that I could genuinely speak those words to my
congregation, but I cannot. It is not that I don’t appreciate them or value
their partnership in the gospel. It is that I don’t always
communicate my feelings well. Let me try to explain.
Paul was a great encourager.
Even when he was about to blast someone for a serious spiritual failure, he
would begin with some word of encouragement. Paul could be very blunt at times,
but he understood the power and value of speaking an encouraging word. He was a
master at it, and it was a pattern of his life.
I am a poor encourager. When I
see an issue that needs to be dealt with, I tend to plunge right in. Even when
I see things that I should praise, I tend to remain silent. It is not
intentional neglect; I just don’t think about it regularly. It doesn’t
routinely pop up on my radar screen. Paul was always looking for some way to
encourage others.
Paul was also a great
communicator. He wrote letters often, far more than we have preserved in the
New Testament. His letters were personal, powerful and packed a punch. He had
the ability to communicate deep truth in ways people could understand. He also
could correct others without destroying the relationship that he had
established with them. He was a master communicator.
You would think that being a pastor
who preaches 45 Sundays a year would be a good communicator. Maybe not. I do a
good job in a public setting, but when it comes to a more personal approach, I
am found wanting. I have been known to offend people without ever realizing it.
I have failed to encourage others, not because I haven’t thought about them or
even prayed for them, but because I never told them! I can think something one
minute and then move on and totally forget it.
I will never be a great
interpersonal communicator, but I am making definite strides to improve my
track record. I am being much more intentional about writing personal thank-you
notes to people. If someone asks me to pray for them, I 5make it a point to
pray for them right then, if possible. I am also working hard at recognizing
when people need or deserve a word of encouragement or praise and then acting
on it.
Being an encourager is an
important part of being a follower of Christ. There are so many things that
discourage us. Satan is constantly throwing obstacles in our way. I know that I
am susceptible to his attempts to steal away my joy. I can have several
positive things happen and then let one negative thing overshadow them all.
At least 14 times in the New
Testament we are challenged to encourage one another. Hebrews 10:25 probably
sums it up best. Let us not give up
meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one
another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:25
(NIV) One of Satan’s most effective tactics against us is to isolate us and get
us believing that we are alone. We start to think that no one understands what
we are going through. Satan whispers in our ears that no one really cares about
us. We start to feel sorry for ourselves and soon we are in a deep, dark hole
of our own making. That is why, over and over again, the Bible tells us to
encourage one another.
There are many ways that we can
be better at encouraging one another. Send a hand written note to someone.
Invite someone out for coffee and pay the bill. Give small, thoughtful gifts
that show the other person that you were really thinking about them and what
they like. Those generic, pre-wrapped gifts that you can buy at Christmas speak
volumes; and the message is not positive. Pray with someone about their issues.
Take the time to really listen to others. The key is to actually do it. It is
not enough to have good intentions; we need to follow through with specific
actions.
I have a long way to go to
become a Paul-like communicator. I am committed to heading in that direction.
Will you join me?
Therefore
encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)
No comments:
Post a Comment