This afternoon I got a package in the mail from the Every Nation School of Campus Ministry in Nashville. I taught over twenty men and women, most of whom had made the decision to go into vocational campus ministry in the next season of their life.
Nick Jones, the National Director for EN Campus in the U.S., and Laura Lever, a veteran campus missionary who helps at the school, made sure I got these notes before leaving for the Philippines.
What’s funny is that even though the event was weeks ago, and the notes didn’t really add much new information, the effect on me is still very significant. Because that’s the power of encouragement.
To encourage means to put courage into someone. Someone could be feeing down, but your encouragement gives them the courage to cheer up. Maybe they’re on the verge of giving up, but your words could put courage in them to keep going. One of your friends might be fearful or worried about something right now, but you could put courage in t for the future.
With that much power in our words, we really should be encouraging one another all the time! As 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”
Why not apply that now? Encouragement doesn’t need a lot of sentiment or a special occasion. And it’s never a wrong time. Send someone an encouraging message right now. It won’t take more than five minutes. Give it some thought, be specific, be personal, be appreciative. You’ll be surprised by the effect.
