“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Joshua 1:9).
Encouragement Creates Momentum
Encourage: to inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence.
I love the famous words from the scripture above that carry this inspiration.
Why?
God knows we’re not courageous people.
Each one of us has something we fear.
It is said that people’s most common fear is that of public speaking. Countless other human fears have been identified, even the fear of clowns, bubbles, or bellybuttons.
But what we fear most is life.
We often live small—not taking risks for fear that things won’t turn out like we want.
It’s just another way of us trying to be God.
Many fear falling from up high, or at least the fear of the sudden stop when hitting the ground.
We’re all afraid our lives will meet tragedy unless we live “safe.”
I’m convinced that we cannot truly live without courage.
I also believe that God will often use others to encourage us.
“Encourage one another daily,” the Bible commands us, “as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that sin’s deceitfulness may harden none of you” (Hebrews 3:13).
The enemy uses circumstances, mindsets, and relationships to squeeze the courage out of us.
We’re to encourage daily because we all need it.
We need it, and we need to give it.
We need it because sin’s deceitfulness is constantly telling us that, indeed, God isn’t with us or for us; we’re constantly hearing the whispered words of doom.
But the blessing of God is that He encourages us to do things that we cannot do on our own, to prove that only He can do them through us—thus glorifying Him, and not us.
Even our encouragement of others by His Spirit shows the wonder of our need to be a part of His body.
So make a choice today to both give and receive encouragement, thus creating the momentum to live your life to the fullness that only God can accomplish through you.
What circumstances and relationships are you fearing now?
What words of encouragement do you want a friend to speak to you?
As you think about that last questions, let the Holy Spirit speak those words to you.
Lord, fill us so full of your courage that we must give some away. Find us faithful to be encouraged and encouraging. Amen