Encouragement

Colossians 3:16

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

There is both power and healing in a small word of cheer, a little act of consideration, and a friendly gesture of kindness; these all are such great practices of uplifting a soul and bringing a smile to a heart!

On the troubled sea of life there are millions of souls drifting, some anchored securely in the haven of rest, while others are struggling to stay a float and are unsure of the anchor that is there for the taking; this is the perfect equation of the strong in Christ throwing out a life line to those in need! A gentle reminder that it is not always necessary to wait until a soul is treading, or taking in water and fighting for their life, there is always the possibility that if encouragement was offered before the onset of such trials and possible defeat, this soul could be in a life boat now instead of hoping and searching for one!

Never second guess the still small voice that commands us all to love and encourage each other! The Lord hath instilled in all of us the gift and instrument to obey this commandment. Encouraging one another might sound like an easy task, but what if the Lord is telling you to go beyond the boundaries of comfort? I am reminded of a scripture verse that has been engraved upon my heart;

Mathew 5:44

But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

In all honesty, this scripture is much easier to read and quote than to act upon; I can speak from personal experience. Avenues the Lord set my feet to follow were not always easy, and at times very strong resistance on my part, being human I had to learn the hard way, it is always best to listen to the still small voice the first time!

Through years of trials and tribulation going through the “put downs” and judgments of others, I look back on this dark avenue of my life and thank God; if I had not gone through such rough waters I would not know how to throw out the life line for another dear soul! It is my earnest prayer that the oars of faith, grace, and encouragement are always in both hands! I pray the Lord to always navigate my boat in the right direction, and if I were to stray, I pray that there will always be another brother or sister that will throw a life line of encouragement and help me to get back on course!

Blessings

Kathy J Snow