Be Encouraged; We Serve a Mighty God

Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines encouragement this way:  the act of encouraging: the state of being encouraged. I think this describes the Church perfectly! We are a body of believers who are to encourage one another and be encouraged by others. When done with love and in Christ this is an amazing thing. This is something that we have as Christians that the world so desperately needs. The world is falling apart because instead of coming together it is tearing itself apart.
 
What Happens though when your physical body is not working in the way the Church body should be? What happens when your heart is hurting, and your mind is telling it to “suck it up buttercup”. We do not have time for this! We cannot let others see us like this! Well, the body starts to hurt, it starts to feel like it is falling apart. It is not working together, it fights itself and you begin to feel helpless, hopeless, and lost like the world around you.

What happens when you feel like no one around you knows you well enough to ask the question “Hey what’s going on, you have not seemed like yourself lately”? What happens when you do not feel like making yourself known to others because you quite frankly do not even know what is going on with yourself and do not want others to know “this you”? This can make it very hard to be a part of a body that is to be encouraging and be encouraged. You can start to feel completely alone.

Well, Christians let me give you some encouragement! I know these feelings and maybe some of you do as well, but I have a GOD we have a GOD that is the only one who fully knows us and fully loves us. He knows every deep dark secret about you and still loves you so much. Only he can love you from the lowest of lows to the highest of highs. We can rest, take comfort, and start each new day with this. He has given us brothers and sisters in Christ to help remind us of this! He is a good, good Father! We can cry out to him.

The Lord has blessed me with being a father to several little girls and over the years I have learned how my children cry out to me. Sometimes it’s a selfish cry, an angry cry, or just an I want to hear myself cry kind of cry. I do care, but I just want to be like you are upset right now because of something you know you shouldn’t be doing or have done. There are times though when my children cry out and are truly sad, hurt, or just scared and it breaks my heart. I would do anything for them, anything to make them feel better.

My point here is that we can be encouraged to know that GOD our Father knows us and loves us and cares when we are hurting. He wants us to come to him with all our problems because he already knows them. Sometimes he will help in ways we may not even notice or realize until much later. Sometimes though GOD will leave no doubt!

GOD may use a friend you have not spoken to in years by sending a simple text that says, “Hey man, I just want you to know I have heard about what you are doing, and I am so proud of the man you have become”. Be encouraged; we serve an amazing, mighty GOD who knows and loves us! Be encouraging you never know how GOD is using you in another’s life.