An Encouraging Word
“When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia. He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, where he stayed three months” (Acts 20:1-3a).
“Lisa, you and your groups!” My close friend couldn’t understand why I wasn’t a one-on-one girl like her, and why I liked events with lots of people.
Today, as another gathering of women is under my belt and I reflect back on it, it occurred to me that I love groups because God has given me a mission in life to encourage women, and groups give me an opportunity to lift up many women.
I do it by being transparent.
About my childhood.
About my mistakes.
About my successes.
About my failures.
When you get into public settings, are you an encourager or a discourager?
The theme of yesterday’s women’s conference was “What’s your Super Power?” My message was about the importance of running your own race so that you become the woman you are designed to be. A secular event, I toned down the Christianese, but this preacher couldn’t take it out completely. I couldn’t deliver a message without speaking a word about my Super Power, God Almighty.
We talked about following our passion, about not being afraid of a vision of great magnitude. About our dreams, hurdles and roadblocks, and about having confidence in who we are designed to be.
Encouragement.
Quite frankly, before the first seminar started I wasn’t sure there’d be that many women attending. There were two other breakout seminars going on at the same time. Would they come hear a woman in ministry?
But when the room filled up, I realized there were many women, young and older, starving for a word of encouragement. They wanted to understand how to better run their life race. They desired to be who they were designed to be.
And that encouraged me.
Was it my best ever presentation?
No.
A lot of it was new material. Particularly in the first session, I forgot to advance my slides on cue because I can’t chew gum and walk at the same time. And I didn’t have my usual music stand for notes so I was awkwardly walking to a side table to make sure I hit every point.
Despite all this, I wondered, Did I encourage these businesswomen?”
Hebrews 10:24 says, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
In all his travels, the Apostle Paul used his visits as an opportunity to encourage groups of people. We should look at our encounters in the same light. Before we arrive at a place, we need to think about how to give someone a word of kindness. How can we lift them up? We should show them how much we believe in them.
Are you an encourager or a discourager?
After the last keynote speaker finished her message yesterday, there was a sea of women at her book table, and we were like the lonely Maytag repairman, with a trickle of people buying our books. She was an awesome speaker, and I understood why people flocked to meet her. I even bought her books.
But that didn’t matter. It wasn’t about book sales, or how well I presented the message. What was more important to me was “Did I encourage anyone?” “Did I reach someone for the kingdom?”
When I returned home, I happened to check my Twitter account, and I saw a sea of tweets from a woman at the conference. She apparently attended my seminar and had shared many of the points I made in the presentation. I don’t think I’ve ever been quoted before!
At that moment, I realized someone was encouraged enough to put what she learned out there for others to see, and that was a major encouragement to me.
You see, dear friends, when we get into the habit of encouraging others, it doesn’t go unnoticed by our Father in Heaven. He will find ways to encourage you back, sometimes in ways you never fathomed.
So keep it up. Encourage your friends, your family members, your co-workers, and your acquaintances. This life presents a myriad of challenges, and everyone needs a positive word to get through the difficult days.
And now I close with an encouraging word for just for you from yesterday’s message, with a little more Christianese inserted.
“Ladies, you already have what you need to be the woman God designed you to be.
What gifts do you already possess in your hand?
What’s in your heart?
That’s where your Super Power is.
You need to believe in yourself, before anyone will believe in you or your business. You need to walk in confidence in your own calling, and not be worried about what anyone else is doing. Like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, you will find that somewhere over the rainbow, dreams really do come true, when you run your own race.” (LBW)