Encouragement to Refresh our Hearts

I was blessed to hear Mary Beth McGreevy at a women's conference this weekend.  A local church plans a conference every March and for various reasons I have not attended inthe past, I was really looking forward to it and definitely not disappointed (well, only in the food . . .)  I thought I would share a few highlights that may be helpful and/or encouraging to others.

The Source of True Encouragement
       -God's Word (Romans 15:1-7, Romans 12:1-2) God is good, what He does is good, pleasing and perfect.
       -God's Character (Romans 15:8-12) Paul quotes four OT prophesies, all fulfilled perfectly by God.  We can TRUST Him to give us HOPE because he is MERCIFUL.
       -God's Enabling Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13) The Holy Spirit enables us to live the Christin life.

 Encouragement in Deed: Building Up in Love (Acts 18:1-8)
 God uses friendships with others to encourage His people(Aquila and Priscilla, then Silas and Timothy are provided to encourage Paul).  We need to be there for each other and come along side others in their work, in their grief, in the joy . . .
God uses resources to encourage His people, practical needs and help are a great encouragement to fellow believers.  (Matthew 7:12)
Support and Blessings through our efforts encourage others (Acts 18:6-8).  Seeing fruit from our labors is encouraging.
A few practical lessons in encouragement:
1. Listen--convey an interest, pursue an opening when people 'hint' that they are hurting, reflect back to them what you are hearing, clarify by asking questions helps you and the other understand even more deeply, ask open ended question and then listen, acknowledge that intimate communication has taken place and that you appreciate it and will keep it in your confidence, ask for permission to share your thought or direction you see in God's word.
2. Pray for each other, be specific.
3. Believe the best about others, give them the benefit of the doubt.  Let them know you believe in them (praise them publicly, get behind them during failures).
4. Live out the gospel in deeds of love and mercy.


Encouragement in Words: Apples of Gold in Settings of Silver (Acts 8:9-11)
v9 God tells Paul not to be afraid, the root cause of discouragement is often fear.  Words of love spoken from the heart makes real encouragement.
v10 God reminds Paul that He is with him.  Paul knew that, but the reminder encouraged him, we too often need reminders of something we already know.  We need to know God and His word in order to encourage others in His word.
v11 God tells Paul He has many people in this city, but at the time it did not appear to be so.  God has a plan for our lives and knows the people we will run into that will encourage us or that we will encourage.
Practical tips on what to say . . .
-The essence of encouragement is exposure without rejection, express acceptance as God does with us
-Understanding sometimes offers more encouragement than advice, sometimes we just need someone to listen and care, not offer solutions
-Strive to understand more precisely so that we can point them in the right direction, ultimately pointing them to the importance of knowing God, that He is sovereign and good.




As part of the conference a local minister gave a sectional about a little-known woman in the Bible, this year it was Ahinoam (I Samuel 25:43).  She was David's wife, set to be queen, mother of his firstborn son (IISam 3:2).  Then many discouraging, upsetting events took place in her life; David took more wives, he left her and Abigal to be taken captive by the Amalekites, her son rapes his half sister, he is later killed, and then she and her household have to flee Jerusalem because of Absolom.  He used this example to show that we have all had difficult situations in our lives, and in our darkest moments we may not be able to pray or sing praises (Isaiah 12).  In those times we must pray for and sing for those who are hurting too much right now--that is the purpose of the body of Christ to strengthen and encourage one another.   He mentioned a few things that might be helpful to share with a person going through a very difficult time: Remind them that God is not taking His wrath out on them personally, He already took it out on Jesus Christ.  Remind them that God is our salvation and we will trust and not be afraid.  Bring them to Christ and remind them of the riches and glory of God's grace in our lives.  In Isaiah 12 he pointed out that in verse 1 the you is singular, but in verses 3 and 4 the you is plural and together we can draw from the well the wealth of blessings in salvation, especially when one is too weak and discouraged to draw from the well herself (what a beautiful picture of God using His people to encourage one another).

 It is so good to fellowship with fellow believers, to listen to godly leaders, and to be refreshed and encouraged in His Word and in my walk.  I hope my rough, brief notes give you some encouragement in your trials and some ideas for encouraging others towards spiritual growth.