Children of Encouragement

Transcript:

Greetings in Jesus precious name!

This is the day that the Lord has made and we are expected to chose to celebrate and rejoice on this day. We need to understand that our life circumstances may or may not change on a daily basis but the choice we make and how we respond to it depends on us. Bible says in Proverbs 12:25 that, “Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up”. Worry has the capacity to weigh a person down. We are seated with Christ in heavenly places. But when we worry we are demoted from our spiritual position. Now when we are demoted we are no longer looking at things from God’s perspective. Now we begin to look at things from a fallen human race. One thing Jesus taught us very intentionally is that worrying about our lack of being anxious about tomorrow or worrying about things we a dependent on is a sin. We should not be worrying. It is a mark of an unbeliever. Every child of God needs to learn the practice and the discipline of living a worry-free life. We do not want to be toed down by worries or negative reports.

It’s not that negative reports are not real! The danger might be right there at the doorstep but the choice is up to us. Are we going to respond with worry or anxiety or human flesh?

We have been called to live with a higher perspective. We are seated with Christ in heavenly places. Why don’t we speak encouraging words to ourselves that will cheer us up! David’s men wanted to stone him. They lost everything, their wives, children, flocks. This could have caused a lot of worry to David. But instead of giving himself to worry, David strengthened himself in the Lord. He encouraged himself in the Lord.

Today, we have a choice to either give ourselves into worry or to cheer ourselves with a word of encouragement! When we make it a practice to speak encouraging words to ourselves it has to eventually flow out of us as a natural lifestyle where when you see somebody worried, you will now be the reason for that person to be encouraged. That person does not have to be in a demoted place but that person can also be where you are.

In the New Testament we see a character named Barnabas who has identified Paul who was called Saul. Everybody in the church was worried about Saul because he was the guy who persecuted Christians. But Barnabas was the one who went out and encouraged Paul to go and meet the apostles, spend time with the church and do the right thing. Barnabas itself means a son of encouragement. So my hope and prayer are that we will be children of encouragement. Those who will constantly encourage ourselves and also make it a practice to encourage others.

May the word coming to you this morning cheer you and lift you up.