| Encouragement – I say to you: you can do anything you want to do. You can be anything you want to be. You can go anywhere from where you are—if you are willing to believe and put your trust in God…Dream Big and do the Hard Work. With Paul, you can say: “I can do all things through Christ, because He gives me strength…Philippians 4:13 & “The joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10 How can a person find/give encouragement in the midst of problems? What resources are available to lift and motivate someone, no matter what the circumstances? What mindset is required for real success? Isaiah 40:31 the new century version – But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. The people who trust the Lord will become strong again. The Lord might strengthen you through some person, or unexpected meeting. It may come through someone God uses to encourage you. This is true because there have been times when we needed to be encouraged. And there have been times when God used us to give encouragement to someone else. Proverbs 3:5 reminds us to trust in the Lord and lean not to our own understanding. Just because we are children of God does not mean that we will never have problems and never need encouragement. Nobody is free from problems. A problem free life is somewhat an illusion. It is a dangerously deceptive perception, which mislead, blind and distract in our relationship with God and one another. Jesus told the truth when He said, “In this world you will have trouble (John 16:33). But He immediately added a word of encouragement: “But be brave I have defeated the world.” Encouragement is available to you, if you have problem-solving, mountain-moving faith. There is no substitute for deep abiding faith. In Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior we can weather the storms that life brings our way. In Jesus we can ride out the rough time we face. This kind of faith, however, requires activation. The first step will be to put your problems into perspective. Not taking anything away from your situation…sure, we all have problems. And what we are currently facing may be the worst you’ve ever faced. But chances are, they are not the worst thing that could possibly have happened. When we put it in perspective, it could be worst. Again, let us continue to put our total trust in the Lord and the Lord will direct our path. The second step is to learn to solve and manage problems. There may not be necessarily a solution for every problem; however, every problem can be managed positively. To do so, it is necessary to take charge and control of the problem. This is call “possibility thinking.” Possibility Thinking focuses not on the management of time, money, energy, or people, but on the management of ideas. It is rejecting the negatives, rejecting the perceived impossibility associated with your problems and seeing the potential for something good and constructive in every problem. Joseph expressed this very positively thinking towards his brothers who had sold him into slavery. “You meant to hurt me, but God turned your evil into good to save the lives of many people, which is being done” (Genesis 50:20). The third step is to be open to the positive ideas God will place in your mind if you have faith and bring your needs to Him in prayer. A simple approach is to take out a sheet of paper and list ten workable solutions to your problem. Begin by believing that God wants to give you the wisdom you seek, that He has given you the gifts of creativity. Remember the scripture that says, “If any of you lack wisdom, ask God. But when you ask, you must ask in faith and not doubt. The fourth step is to take action on the positive ideas God places in your mind. People who win over tough times are people who never stop believing. They have faith in God and in themselves and in the idea/solution (By Faith) that God gives them. These winners, survivors, Pray for God’s Guidance and when they know what it is they have to take action and do it. Jesus said it best in Mark 11:22-24 says it best…”…have faith in God…and do not doubt in your heart…whatever thing you…ask when you pray…believe that you receive them, and you will have them. Happy New Year and as we continue our journey of faith, in the Lord with each other, please know that as you seek to encourage and express appreciation to others, someone will encourage you and express their appreciation towards you. Peace out, Calvin |
Things to Consider: The everyday study Bible by Word Publishing of Thomas Nelson
