More than likely there is not a day that goes by that any one of us does not run into someone who is facing challenging circumstances in their life. Because of the current state of the Union, America is full of people who are hurting. They are fearful, depressed, angry, hopeless, and so much more. The condition of our economy has caused tremors that have been felt in the homes of people far and wide. No one remains unaffected.
Men and women who have lost their employment have been impaired by the enemy that would use insecurity as his crippling weapon. They are left tending their wounds rather than attending to their source of strength in the battle. Rather than eyeing their Maker, they are watching their funds go down the tubes and shaking in their boots, literally wearing their anxiety.
Because of this mindset, marriages are suffering, and families are experiencing tension within the very four walls of the home that should be their haven from the world. Children are left wondering if they are going to have food and a place to sleep at night.
What is our part in all of this? How can we as Christians share the reason and the hope to inspire people to carry on, to look beyond the current status of today's woes, to "see" a better tomorrow?
I believe a word in today's verse is our answer. Encouragement!
Definition refresher > the act of inspiring with courage, hope or resolution.
When we are talking with fellow Christians, brothers and sisters in the Lord, we need to remind them that our eyes are to be on The One who is in control, not the market and our funds. There is nothing our God is not aware of. Spur them on to "hang tough" to what they already know! Encourage them to remain steady, not to waver in their faith. Show a personal resolve that refuses to be shaken, and challenge them to the same! Shout out a cheer in favor of our Lord.
WE SERVE A GOD WHO IS MIGHTY TO SAVE!
WE ARE LED BY A GOD WHO IS UNSHAKABLE AND UNMOVEABLE!
WE WALK WITH A GOD WHO WILL MAKE US MORE THAN CONQUERORS THROUGH ALL THINGS ON THIS EARTH!
YES!
When we are with those that we know are not fellow Christians, we need to be sure,.. very sure that our lives are speaking out loud as we walk through the crises of the day. It is not with our words that these people will be impacted. It is with our very attitudes, our actions, our courage, our resolve to press on with an attitude that all is still good and well, no matter what. They will watch us more than they will listen to us. The language that we would speak with our mouths about a God that they do not intimately know will not be understood without some form of interpretation. That source of interpretation is our faith coming to life marching down the streets of uncertainty with a confidence that shows certainty. This is what we are called to do.
For such a time as this, we are to be a light shining out in the darkness of hard times. God wants to use us for His kingdom while we tread the soil on this earth. He has given us this treasure in us, the Holy Spirit, to empower us and lift us up. He wants us to reassure others, Christian and non-Christian alike. He wants us to be a powerful motivator to them to not give up, to hang on to courage, to know that their burdened hearts can find the answer they seek.
To all my sisters out there.....BE THAT PERSON!
Make it your goal to go out today with purpose. Be that light shining on a hill, sharing the hope in you that God has portioned.
Remind your brothers and sisters in the Lord Whose shoulders they are standing on. Encourage them to believe that with God they will be comforted and cared for. In Him they will walk the stormy seas, and in so doing, be made more than they ever could be. They are secure when they are anchored in their Maker and Lord.
A word of encouragement! Speak it and Live it. Encouragement can do WONDERS for someone who needs it. By God's grace, do your part.
Courage!
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