But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. Hebrews 3:13 NIV
We live in a world that’s less than encouraging. A world where one bad break or a hard childhood turns dreams into nightmares. As a LifeGroup leader or mentor, the people you lead will face disappointments, setbacks, and frustrations so dark they can’t seem to locate the fortitude to press on.
So many people are like little Lucy in C.S. Lewis’ The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, who was sailing toward a dark island where nightmares become reality. In the darkest moment, she called out to the lion named Aslan (the God-character), “… if ever you loved us at all, send us help now.”
This is where you come in. Do you know how many people are praying, “God, if You really love me, will You help me?”
God wants to encourage people, and He wants to use you to do it.
@cindybeall
You are God’s yes. God wants to encourage people, and He wants to use you to do it. To encourage means to make someone more hopeful or confident. It’s about putting into someone the hope God has put into you. It’s a courage transplant, if you will.
The Bible is one of the most powerful tools for putting courage into Christ followers. The people you lead need to know God is for them and not against them (Romans 8:31) and absolutely nothing can separate them from the love of God (Romans 8:39). Tell them God is their refuge when trouble comes (Nahum 1:7), and their help comes from the Lord, the maker of Heaven and Earth (Psalm 121:2). They need to know they’re blessed when they trust in the Lord (Jeremiah 17:7), and even though the grass and flowers die, the Word of our God endures forever (Isaiah 40:8).
Zig Ziglar, who went pretty far in life, said, “A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could.” How will you propel your mentee? The people in your LifeGroup? Here are three rules I try to follow:
- If you think something nice, say it.
- If you find something to do that could help, do it.
- If you are encouraged by the Bible, share it.
Oh, you know what happened to Lucy? She heard a voice whisper, “Courage, dear heart,” and C.S. Lewis writes, “and the voice, she felt sure, was Aslan’s.”
How will you be God’s voice?
