10 One
of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last
to see you.11 For
I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you
grow strong in the Lord.12 When
we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be
encouraged by yours.
Romans
1:10-12 (NLT)
When Paul was in Corinth it was believed he wrote this letter to
the church at Rome. To a group of people he had never met. I can imagine how he
felt trying to get the message of encouragement and direction for Christian
living to them so they could grow to be more like Jesus in their walks with God.
It would have been a burden to ensure the message was true to the gospel he had
received from Christ. Do you share that burden with him? As we prepare to start
a new year do you have the resolve that it takes to be a blessing to others with
a word of encouragement? Not that you have to take up writing letters to people
or writing a devotional, but just living a life worthy of the sacrifice Jesus
made for you. You see when we live to encourage others we ourselves become
encouraged when we see them grow and become more than what they
were.
I remember teaching my sons
how to hit a baseball and ride a bike; I remember how proud I was when they
could do it without my help. The same is true of their Christian walks I feel
pride when my children turn to God for the answers to life’s struggles. I am encouraged to know they are growing in
the Lord and it pushes me to do the same. To everyone who has told me they read
these devotionals I want to thank you for the encouragement it brings me. You do
not know how many times I have stopped but every time I think I have done all I
can someone tells me how much it helps them. Encouragement is the one thing each
of us as Christians can do. You see we all have our stories and each of us can
relate to someone in particular I cannot share Jesus with every one and neither
can you but together we can change the world and introduce Jesus to everyone we
meet. A word of encouragement may not seem like much; yet if we think about our
own lives and how much it has meant to you when you have received encouragement.
I place a challenge before you in the New Year try to live a life with
encouragement as part of it. Sharing with others the good news and blessings you
have seen and shared might be all it takes for them to except Jesus. Have a
truly blessed day as you walk with Jesus in the light of His
word.
