The Gift of Encouragement Pamelajune Banks-Anderson Simon, stay on your toes. Satan has tried his best to separate all of you from me, like chaff from wheat. Simon, Ive prayed for you in particular that you not give in or give out. When you have come through the time of testing, turn to your companions and give them a fresh start. - Luke 22:32. The Message You may remember that Simon Peter was the most challenging among the twelve. James and John, the sons of Mary and Zebedee, were brothers who also challenged Jesus. Yet, the three of them Peter, James, and John were the inner circle of Jesus. What made these three a challenge to Jesus? In the case of the brothers, they asked the question, Who is the greatest in the kingdom? You can note their likeness to their mother, Mary. She said to Jesus Give your word that these two sons of mine will be awarded the highest places of honor in your kingdom, one at your right hand, one at your left hand . . . . When the ten others heard about this, they lost their tempers, thoroughly disgusted with the two brothers. So Jesus got them together to settle things down (Matt 20:21-28). He gathered the disgruntled ten with the misguided two and shared with them good news: The more you love and serve, the greater you become and the more likely you will hold first place. And he called Peter the most verbal of the Disciples, the one who denied Jesus three times, and the one whom God used to recognize Jesus as the Christ into ministry and apostleship, asking him to Turn to your companions and give them a fresh start. Many of us, especially the writer of this article, have lost our tempers. In my experience, it has taken me a couple of days in conversation with the Lord before I asked for forgiveness. Doing so brought me back into alignment with God and the person I injured. When we find ourselves being toxic, our real option for change is directly related to the gift of encouragement. And by the way, mutual encouragement is linked to church attendance. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together…to exhort one another (Hebrews 10:25). Simply defined, the gift of exhortation is to comfort, console, and to counsel. Prayer May you be an encourager so that others will see the Holy Spirit in you. Even when you have to encourage yourself, you may be the only Fruit of the Spirit some will ever experience. Amen. Pamela J Anderson ABOUT THE AUTHOR Pamelajune (PJ) Banks-Anderson is the Pastor and Senior Minister at St. Stephen’s Community Church, UCC, in Lansing, MI. She is retired from the US Navy Chaplain Corps. Her most recent publication is Pray-ers Praying Prayers.
Posted on: Fri, 24 Jan 2014 12:46:55 +0000
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