“Then said He unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death; tarry ye here, and watch with Me. And He went a little farther, and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt. And He cometh unto the disciples, and finding them asleep, said unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:38-41
People who encourage others are effortlessly recognizable; they are usually the ones who others easily rally around. Their presence and personality is infectious; simply being around them moves you to action. Sometimes, they can be creative, daring, spontaneous; and, at other times, pensive and practical. Nonetheless, there is always someone with this trait a dial tone away. This person may be you, or someone close to you. Let’s call them “The Encouragers.” Not everyone has an encouraging personality. There are those who do not encourage anyone, not even themselves; and, when they do take the time to encourage others to take a leap, it is from a 25th floor windowsill! I recently gave someone an analogy using blood types in referring to “The Encouragers."
“What is your blood type?” I asked. “I believe it’s Type-O.” He said. “Perfect!” I said. “Someone with Type-O blood is a universal donor; you can give blood to anyone to keep him or her alive on a battlefield; however, you cannot receive blood from anyone other than another Type-O donor. Receiving blood from a donor other than a type-O donor will result in your death. It would be more advantageous for doctors to infuse coconut water into your veins to keep you alive, than to take blood from one of those other blood types!” The same thing goes for an “Encourager;” he or she can easily encourage others, all those A, B, AB, and even O types that need encouraging on a reoccurring basis. However, only another “Encourager” can give an “Encourager” encouragement; because, the ordinary rah-rah-rah speech will not work on them.
There are times when an encourager needs complete recharging, and only a real Diehard Encourager will do. The Bible is full of those who offered encouragement to its heroes and heroines, i.e., Ruth and Naomi; Moses and Joshua; Esther and Mordecai; David and Jonathan, etc.
Yet, even Jesus, the most powerful Encourager of all, needed encouragement while He was in the Garden of Gethsemane. His family was not around; and, His key disciples kept falling asleep. He could not turn to anyone but His Father in Heaven.
If you have an Encourager in your life, take the time to contact him or her today. Thank them for helping you to persevere through all those occasions where you truly felt like faltering. If you are an Encourager, don’t forget to take the time today to pray for yourself. It will allow you to recharge your "battery" using a direct connection to our heavenly Father. Remember, a recharged battery, is the only way for you to continue helping those who need you. And, more importantly, it will boost your energy, stamina, and faith to encourage others for yet another day! L.
Study Reference: Matthew 26:36-46
From:"The Encouragers." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions for Everyday Living
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell
photo: Google images
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