Are You A Lifter?

Anxiety in a person’s heart weighs him down,
but an encouraging word brings him joy.

Proverbs 12:25 

 

I'm still a student, believe it or not, because there's always something to learn.  I may have mentioned before, I thrive on encouragement.  No, not the "cheerleading" kind, but the "let me in the muck with you and we will get out together" kind.  

 

I'll admit it, I haven't been to the gym in quite some time for a multitude of reasons.  Mainly, when I am focusing my mind on something, everything else gets pushed aside.  And the other reason is rather mundane, I just don't like going.  There is truly nothing about the gym that interests me.  But when I was going, it was because it wasn't just me...there was a group of us that went.  We did our exercise routines and encouraged each other because we did it together.

 

Now....today's devotional is not about going to the gym, it's about encouraging each other.  It's very easy to be a "cheer leader" who merely shouts "you can do it" or "you are awesome."  However, true encouragement is ACTION!  It is a verb!  Encouragement is what you actually DO!

 

True, there are those who will always want someone else to do FOR them, but will not do for themselves.  And, to be honest, I will help up until (and sometimes beyond) the point where I really have nothing left to offer.  

 

Remember the story of the Adulterous Woman the Scribes and Pharisees brought to Jesus?  Jesus encouraged her by standing up for her to the Scribes and Pharisees who wanted to kill her.  However, if you remember, Jesus also made it clear that SHE had to actually DO something....stop committing adultery.  

 

The best counsel on encouragement I ever got was from an old homeless man who lived in the parking garage where I used to work.  He said, "If you need encouragement, help someone else, because then you will see that you have if better than others."

 

Encouragement is a VERB!