Author: Pastor Claude Thomas
Now here is a fact. We all need to be inspired and encouraged. Life has its difficulties and discouragements. A relationship has been broken. A marriage is falling apart. Good grades have been difficult to come by. The work isn’t going well. We all know what it is like to need encouragement.
It is amazing what we encounter in the name of science and experimentation. One of the most unusual was to determine the value of motivation and encouragement. Here is what was done. Two buckets were filled with ice water. The water was ice cold and each bucket had ice in it. Then people were chosen to stand in each of the buckets and to determine who could withstand the cold for the longest period of time. Only one difference was made for the contestants. One was encouraged by others and the other wasn’t. In each experiment, the encouraged person stayed in the bucket of ice water for the longest period of time.
The conclusion? We are inspired by the encouragement of others.
The Bible calls for us to encourage or inspire each other. Paul wrote to a group of people who lived in the Greek city of Thessalonica. This is what he said to them, “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.” 1 Thess. 5:11 NLT
We need it and we need to do it. But what does it take to encourage and inspire someone? Let me make simple observation. We encourage and inspire others when we genuinely care for them. Here is something we must grasp: the ability to inspire others springs from the fountain of a loving heart.
You can see it over and over again. Look at a father who loves his son or daughter. He wants to inspire and encourage them to their best. It may be a recital where he sits up eagerly encouraging his daughter as she dances. Or it may be on the soccer field as he moves with his son or daughter running up and down the field shouting words of inspiration and encouragement. It is almost like there are only the two of them… the child looking longingly and the father encouraging with all his heart.
When we are concerned for others, we will seek to motivate them to their best. And love does make the difference.
A teacher once wrote: “I had a great feeling of relief when I began to understand that a youngster needs more than just subject matter. I know the subject well, and I teach well. I used to thin that was all I needed to do. Now I teach children, not a subject. I accept the fact that I can only succeed partially with some of them. When I don’t have to know all the answers, I seem to have more answers than when I tried to be the expert. The youngster who made me understand this was Eddie. I asked him one day why he thought he was doing so much better than last year. He gave meaning to my whole new orientation. “It’s because I like myself now when I’m with you,” he said.
When Eddie knew his teacher cared about him, he blossomed.
When others know we care, we can help them to blossom! Have you thought about showing your love for a child who is possibly living without the love of parents and food to stop the hunger he feels in his stomach? Consider feeding a child today and encouraging the child with your loving expression. For more information contact Feed The Children at www.feedthechildren.org.