Wes Seelinger sums up ministry to one another:

“Ever feel like a frog? Frogs feel slow, low, ugly, puffy, drooped, pooped. I know: One told me. The frog feeling comes when – you want to be bright, but feel dull. You want to share, but are selfish. You want to be thankful, but feel resentment. You want to be big, but are small. You want to care, but are indifferent.

Yes, at one time or another each of us has found ourselves on a lily pad floating down the great river of life. Frightened and disgusted, but too froggish to budge.

Once upon a time there was a frog. But he really wasn’t a frog. He was a prince who looked and felt like a frog. A wicked witch had cast a spell on him. Only the kiss of a beautiful young maiden could save him…So there he sat – an unkissed prince in frog form.

But miracles happen. One day a beautiful maiden grabbed him up and gave him a big smack. Crash – Boom – Zap! There he was – a handsome prince. And you know the rest of the story. They lived happily ever after.

So what is the task of the church? To kiss frogs, of course.”

Tags: encouragement, frog, kiss

William Barclay wrote: “It’s easy to laugh at ideals, pour cold water on enthusiasm and discourage others. The world’s full of such people. But we have a duty to encourage one another. Many a time a word of praise or appreciation or cheer has kept a man on his feet. Blessed is the one who speaks such a word.”

Epaphroditus was commended by Paul as “my…fellow worker…[who] ministered to my need.” What did Paul need? Encouragement! Imagine being rememerbered as the one who encouraged the Apostle Paul! Those with his same spirit instinctively know how to speak “The right word at the right time” (Prov. 15:23). They strengthen the discouraged and comfort the grieving. In fact, we look for them in times of crisis because their very presence “lifts” us.

The Bible is filled with such people. When Moses was overwhelmed, Jethro counseled and supported him ( Ex. 18:1-27). When Paul was alone in prison, Epaphroditus jeopardized his own safety to visit and comfort him (Phil. 2:25-30). Paul also found great strength in Timothy (2 Tim. 4:9), and later in John Mark (2 Tim. 4:11). Every time he went through another trial, God surrounded Paul with people who provided practical help and spiritual sustenance just when he needed it most.

Stay prepared to be an encourager! Who is your greatest encourager?

Tags: encouragement, Epaphroditus

During the Boer War (1899-1902), a man was convicted of a very unusual crime. He was found guilty of being a “Discourager”. The South African town of Ladysmith was under attack, and this traitor would move up and down the lines of soldiers who were defending the city and do everything he could to discourage them. He would point out the enemy’s strength, the difficulty of defending against them, and the inevitable capture of the city. He didn’t use a gun in his attack. It wasn’t necessary. His weapon was the power of discouragement.

Discouragement is opposite of faith. Faith says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Discouragement puts doubt in my mind and undermines my faith in Christ.

What has discouraged you lately?

Tags: encouragement, words

Have you ever noticed that its tough for a kid to get a swing going? But if you give him/her a push, then they begin pumping and keep the swing going by themselves. They just need a push. Giving people a push is what the gift of encouragement is.

Joseph, better known as Barnabus, gave his brothers a push in Acts 4:36-37 when he sold land that belonged to him and gave the proceeds to the apostles for Kingdom use. That had to have encouraged others to do the same. People just need a push.

When have you received a push from someone else and how did it encourage you?

Tags: encouragement, push, swing

Nature teaches us some valuable lessons. Look at geese, for example:

1. They fly in a “V” formation because it takes 71% less energy compared to flying solo. We Christians need to fly together.

2. The lead goose has the difficult job of breaking the wind barrier, so they rotate leadership. Let’s give someone else a break at church by helping them.

3. Geese honk as they fly. If one drops out and breaks the efficiency equation, the others honk encouragement to the leader. Let’s honk at somebody next weekend.

4. If a goose is hurt along the journey, two others accompany it to the ground to give help. Let’s take care of each other.

What experience do you have with geese and what can we learn from it?

Tags: encouragement, geese

In his book As Iron Sharpens Iron, a great book on the power of mentoring, author Howard Hendricks tells this story of his troubled home background:

“By the fifth grade, I was bearing all the fruit of a kid who feels insecure, unloved, and pretty angry at life. In other words, I was tearing the place apart. However, my teacher Miss Simon apparently thought that I was blind to this problem, because she regularly reminded me, ‘Howard, you are the worst behaved child in this school!’

So tell me something I don’t already know! I thought to myself, as I proceeded to live up (or down) to her opinion of me.

One time I got so out of hand that she physically grabbed me, shoved me into my desk, tied me to my seat with a rope, and wrapped tape around my mouth. ‘Now you will sit still and be quiet!’ she announced triumphantly. So what else could I do?

Needless to say, the fifth grade was probably the worst year of my life. Finally I was graduated – for obvious reasons. But I left with Miss Simon’s words ringing in my ears: ‘Howard, you are the worst behaved child in this school!’

You can imagine, then, my expectations upon entering the sixth grade, where my teacher was Miss Noé. The first day of class she went down the roll, and it wasn’t long before she came to my name. ‘Howard Hendricks,’ she called out, glancing from her list to where I was sitting with my arms folded, just waiting to go into action. She looked me over for a moment, and said, ‘I’ve heard a lot about you.’ Then she smiled and added, ‘But I don’t believe a word of it!”

I tell you, that moment was a fundamental turning point, not only in my education, but in my life. Suddenly, unexpectedly, someone believed in me. For the first time in my life, someone saw potential in me. Miss Noé put me on special assignments. She gave me little jobs to do. She invited me to come in after school to work on my reading and arithmetic. She challenged me with higher standards.

I had a hard time letting her down. In fact, one time I got so involved in one of her homework assignments that I stayed up until 1:30 in the morning working on it! Eventually my father came down the hall and said, ‘What’s the matter, son, are you sick?’

‘No, I’m doing my homework,’ I replied.

He kind of blinked and rubbed his eyes, not quite sure whether he was awake. He’d never heard me say anything like that before. Finally he shook his head and said, ‘You’re sick!’

What made the difference between fifth grade and sixth? The fact that someone was willing to give me a chance. Someone was willing to believe in me while challenging me with higher expectations. That was risky, because there was no guarantee that I would honor Miss Noé’s trust.”

Do you have any experience with you own little Howard?

Tags: acceptance, Howard Hendricks, patience, rebellion, teach