Encourage Your Children

Courtesy morguefile

 The second to last Sunday of every month is set aside as Youth Sunday in my church, Sierra Norwood Calvary Baptist Church in Miami. This is the day when the young people conduct the service. They do everything except preach the sermon. As I watched them perform this morning, I thought Jesus must be looking on and smiling. I smiled too as I recalled His words, "Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 19: 14)

What a wonderful privilege we have to nurture and prepare the next generation to become the leaders of tomorrow. It is one we should not take lightly. Unfortunately, not all children receive this type of preparation. Many of them are left to fend for themselves - which is a form of abuse - and are forced into adulthood while they are still children. Many of them never hear the name of Jesus spoken in the home, never have the Bible read to them, never attend church or Sunday School.

Children need to be encouraged to achieve their God-given potential. Some children are so discouraged by the treatment they receive at home they develop low self-esteem. The Bible says, "And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6: 4). doesn't give us a lot about Jesus's teenage years. We don't know if He kept Mary and Joseph up late at nights wondering where He was or who He was hanging out with. We do know that when He was twelve, He did cause them some worry when they went to Jerusalem and Jesus disappeared for three whole days! That would make any mom frantic.  (Read Luke 2: 42 - 50)


Some years later, we see Mary being the one to launch Jesus's ministry at the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee. (Read John 2: 1 - 11) I believe Mary must have been given divine wisdom from God to do what she did, because prior to this, she didn't seem to understand the full implications of who Jesus really was. Parents, if you want to know how to encourage your children, how to bring out the best in them, ask God for wisdom and guidance. He will tell you what, when and how to do what needs to be done for them. And He never makes a mistake. God bless.

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Encouraging Others - A Gift From God

Do you know someone you can call on when things get really rough? When you toss and turn and can't get to sleep - even after you have prayed and read the Bible before going to bed? I think we all experience this at some time - unless you are in grade school. And during your tossing and turning, a face flashes before your eyes, and just thinking about that person causes your worry to ooze away. Why? Because that person is an encourager. He or she may not be aware of it, but that person always manages to say the right thing at the right time. And when there is no need for words he will just put an arm around you or give your hand a squeeze and you begin to feel better.

Without meaning to boast, I believe I have the gift of encouraging others. How do I know? People have told me. They say I have a calm and quiet personality that soothes them and helps them forget their problem. I wish I could encourage myself that way! But we don't often think of encouraging as a spiritual gift, do we? We tend to focus on the more spectacular ones, like healing and prophesying and speaking in tongues, but here's what the apostle Paul says, "We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith;

 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously ..." (Romans 12: 8)

 

So who can you encourage today? If you can't think of someone, ask the Holy Spirit to lead you and show you who needs to be encouraged and how you should encourage that person. It might be just through a phone call, a visit, listening or giving them a hug if you are close to them.

I pray that this blog is a source of encouragement to you. If it is, please leave a comment and let me know. And if you would like these posts delivered to your inbox so you don't have to search for this site, then please use the sign-up form to subscribe. 

 

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And speaking of encouraging, we all know someone in our lives who needs encouragement. I'm speaking of those hard- working mothers - your mother, mother-in-law, wife, sister, whoever she might be, give her something this Mother's Day to encourage her and show her what she means to you. Click on the banner below.