ChEeRLeAdIng Chaper 8

ENCOURAGE ON ANOTHER DAILY- heb. 3:13
COMFORT ONE ANOTHER- I thess. 4:18
STIMULATER ON ANOTHER TO LOVE AND GOOD DEEDS- heb. 10:24 (nasb)

"The best way to know what to say is to look back at your own experience. What have people said to you that made it easier to trust Jesus, and what misguided words only made Him seem farther away?"

Well- that quote about sums it up!? We learn from what has either happen to us or what didn't happen that we would of like to of! But not only the things that made us feel better but how did our faith in Christ influence our experience.

page 91- the author says, "being encouraged daily is not a luxury; it is a necessity." Seemingly our once a week gathering as a church body isn't enough; but rather the one on one relationship is where encouragement can be met at an even more indepth manner. Receiving that encouragement but we are to think of how we can help; ie- encourage; those that are around us that need a word to help them through the day.

thinking of encouragement makes me first think of an affirmation from someone or reciproctating by giving words of affirmation back. I believe there are times for that but more so it is the little purposeful acts of thoughtfullness allows people to know that we have made that special effort to encourage them. A phone call, a drop by to see them, an email to say hi, or even pat on the back can go a long way!

Comfort = 'to enable'

page 92, "Paul said that in the midst of their despair, God both comforted and delivered them."

My first thought here is that if you have to be comforted by someone you are a weak person- ok, I know that isn't very nice but I have also discovered that it isn't even the same type of comfort used in the text! as in the verse above the comforted meant to be able to enable them to endure the suffering so that they could have victory on the other side of the trouble.

"what comfort does best is to get our eyes off our efforts and our limitied resources and put them bakc on God and His power! " When our son was first born he was shipped immediately from our small town hospital to KC for immediate care for his heart. Talking about feeling useless! Several days went by without any progress on his care and at one time he almost went the other way too far. Our pastor called us and encouraged us to turn our son's life over to God and to allow Him to have control over that situation. I had never thought of this act or advise as being that of comfort until I had read this; but it certainly is. when we prayed that pray, giving our son back to the Lord to whom had created him and allowing Him the 'responsibility' of whatever was going to happen to happen- comfort soon came upon us. It was like a huge weight had been lifter from our shoulders. 2 Cor. 1:6 "If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in your patient endourance of the same suffering we suffer. " (tbc)