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The Power of Encouragement
Adapted from an article by Mac Lake (www.maclakeonline.com) –
Has someone ever walked up to you and given spoken words of encouragement to you. As the words came out of their mouth something powerful took place inside of you. There was a transformation that happened inside of you. You were motivated and inspired to achieve greatness. These types of interactions should remind us of the power of encouragement.
Why is it leaders so often neglect using this powerful tool?
Just prior to entering the Promise Land God told Moses, “But commission Joshua and ENCOURAGE and strengthen him for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land.” (Deuteronomy 3:28) In a very critical moment in this young leaders life God reminded Moses to encourage him. The Hebrew word for encourage is chazaq which means, “to make strong or firm”. Encouragement has power.
Here are 7 things encouragement will do for those we lead:
1) It helps them see the work God is doing in or through their life.
2) It motivates them to continual improvement.
3) It enhances their confidence and courage.
4) It expands their vision. When they know the progress they’ve made has been recognized and appreciated it causes them to dream bigger.
5) It validates their giftedness. Most people struggle with clarity in the area of their giftedness. A specific word of encouragement can help bring needed confirmation.
6) It creates relational bonds between the leader and follower.
7) It teaches them to encourage others.
Points to ponder…
- How can I sow seeds of specific encouragement to individuals this week and watch it strengthen them?
- How will my words of encouragement build the group (team) of people that I am leading?
- How will my words of encouragement help those I am leading grow in their relationship with Christ?
Prayer point…
Ask God to help you be a constant encourager of those you are leading so that you can help make them strong.
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Getting them in the game — God Engagement
Danny Mequet
I’m looking forward to coaching my son’s 6-year old soccer team this year. I think one of the biggest challenges I will have is not wanting to run out onto the field and kick the ball myself to help us win! I have to continually remind myself that my job is to coach the kids so that they can play the game.
In the same manner, our role as leaders should not be to do the work, but to coach those we are leading to take responsibility for their growth. As Christian leaders, our top priority should be to get people engaged in God’s Word.
“The word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
It is God’s Word, not our work, which will ultimately bring about life-change. Therefore, we must recognize that our role is to encourage and coach people into encountering God through the Bible.
In order for people to hear from God when they read the Bible they must learn to ask the following three questions:
1) What does this mean?
- This question focuses on the meaning of the scripture passage.
2) What is God saying to me?
- This question makes the Bible passage become personal.
3) How will I be different because of what I read today?
- This question calls the reader to action and leads to life-change.
Think about it…
- Who will I commit to helping develop their ability to engage in God’s Word?
- What will I do to help them learn how to hear God when they read the Bible?
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Can you teach people to feed themselves?
There have been some milestones in my kids’ development that my wife and I have celebrated. One is when they were potty-trained and the other is when they were finally able to feed themselves (both came with many clean up opportunities)! There have been many dinner times in my house that have ended with a bath because of the amount of food that was smashed into my kids’ hair or rubbed all over their arms and legs. However, it was these times that gave my kids the necessary practice so they would be able to feed themselves.
Just like my wife and I had to train our children to be able to feed themselves, our goal as leaders should always be to help those whom we are leading become self-feeders. Jesus makes this very clear in John 15:5 when He tells us, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
Our goal is to coach people into a growing personal relationship with Christ because they are “remaining in Him.”
Here are 3 Steps to developing Self-feeders:
1) Feed them
When somebody comes into a relationship with Christ we must give them what it takes to begin the growth process. We need to make sure they are getting the Biblical truths in their life that will help them establish a growing walk with Christ.
2) Help feed them (and be willing to clean up the mess)
As people begin to grow we must give them a chance to feed themselves. This can be messy, but it is necessary if we want to see them become self-feeders. There have been times that I have met with men and helped lead them in their devotion time with God. This gives me the opportunity to coach them on how to pray, read their Bible and hear from God.
3) Let them feed themselves
We always want to be a support to those we are leading, but we must let them begin to feed themselves without trying to step in all the time. As leaders, we want those we are leading to be able to feed themselves spiritually because that will allow them to grow deeper in their relationship with Christ. Once they can grow then they can begin to help others begin this process of learning to be a self-feeder.
Think about it…
- What can you do to begin to help others become self-feeders?
- What are the possible problems of not teaching those we are leading to become self-feeders?
- What can you do to help those you are leading begin to teach others how to become self-feeders?
Prayer point: Ask God to give you wisdom on how to help those you are leading become self-feeders.
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Promote Growth
Several years ago when I was working as a school counselor I was asked by one of our students if I was taking steroids because he thought I had big muscles. After I stopped laughing I told him I was getting ripped off if I was paying for steroids because at 6’1” and 185 lbs. I’m anything but muscular. I tried to explain to him that if he wanted to develop his muscles there were healthy ways to go about achieving his goals.
In the same way that there are certain things we can do to grow and strengthen our muscles, there are also things we can do to grow in our relationship with Christ. As leaders, it is our responsibility to help those we are leading grow in their relationship with Christ.
James 1:23-25 says, “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”
As leaders, we must promote growth by providing an environment and relationships that will help others grow in their relationship with Christ.
In order for people to grow in their relationship with Christ we need to help them grow in the following four areas:
1) The Bible
- We must encourage those we are leading to establish a regular time of connecting with God through reading, studying and meditating on His Word.
2) Prayer
- We need to help those we are leading develop a regular time of connecting with God through prayer. This could include a prayer journal, praying through the Lord’s Prayer and asking the Holy Spirit to lead them in prayer.
3) Godly relationships
- A large part of our growth in our relationship with God has to do with our relationships.
“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17
- As leaders, we must help those we are leading embrace godly relationships that will help them grow closer to God.
4) Serving
- Serving changes the lives of the people who are served as well as those who are serving.
Think about it…
- Do you find the people you are leading are growing in their relationship with Christ? Why or why not?
- What can you do in order to be more intentional about promoting growth for those you are leading?
Prayer point…
Ask for wisdom and strength to help those you are leading to grow in their relationship with God.
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Finish Strong
If you are like me, you may have set some goals at the beginning of this year and for some reason you have not achieved them. I want to challenge you to take a look at some of your goals and be determined to finish strong this year.
As a leader, the most important types of goals you can set are those that relate to the people to which God has given you influence. We can look at Jesus and how He lived out His final days on Earth in order to learn how to finish strong in our relationships.
3 Things we must have in order to Finish Strong:
1) Focus
“My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39
Jesus was focused on His mission at hand. Even though He knew He was going to face the most intense challenge any person could possibly face, He was focused on completing the mission His Father had given Him. The reason He was so focused on completing His mission is because His mission centered on the ultimate act of serving people.
2) Forgiveness
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 22:34
As leaders, our goal should be to serve others and love them. However, there are times in our lives that hurts can cause us to lose focus of the mission at hand. In order to finish strong we must allow God to work through us by helping us forgive. Jesus was able to forgive the men who were killing Him. If He can do that, then we should take the step to forgive also.
3) Faithfulness
“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
Jesus’ last words to His disciples were words of faithfulness. Jesus promised that despite what may happen He will be with them and help them. In order to finish strong we must prove faithful first to God and then to those He has called us to lead.
As you commit to finish this year strong make sure that you are focused on your mission, forgiving of those who have hurt you and faithful to those you are leading. If you do these things then you will be a leader who finishes strong!
Think about it…
- Who do you need to reach out to before the end of this year?
- Who has God placed in your life that you need to forgive?
- What goals did God give you at the beginning of this year that you have not yet achieved? Why have you not achieved them? What can you do to finish strong?
Prayer point…
Ask God to help you recognize what has kept you from finishing strong in the relationships in which God has placed you as a leader. Then ask Him to give you the ability to focus, forgive and be faithful so that you can finish strong just like Jesus did.
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