Welcome to "Tuesday Mornings," a source of encouragement and inspiration for Christians everywhere.

 

Neal Dirkse has gone to a better place. He is in heaven today. Actually, he has been there since the evening of January 28. In reporting on his father's death, his son wrote,"The bondage of weak eyes, poor hearing, unresponsive legs, stiffened joints and hands were thrown off in a nano second. He has been liberated forever with all new equipment."

 

Neal will be missed. He was my pastor during my late teen years. After I graduated from high school, I took a job working for my father—a self-employed electrical contractor. I intended to enter college some day, but I had made no preparations financially to do so. Neither had my parents. There were no student loans then. So I elected to work. One day that fall, Pastor Dirkse called and asked me to stop by his office after work. He had some news for me. When I arrived there, he announced, "A man in the church has offered to pay your first semester's tuition at Pasadena College." I was stunned and honored. I enrolled in the spring semester, and that began a love affair for things academic that shaped my early life and subsequently my career.

 

Years later I learned who that "man in the church" was. It was my pastor, Neal Dirkse. Even though he had three sons of his own, and limited finances, he sacrificed so that I could take the first step toward a college education. I will forever remember the encouragement the man was to me. Bless his memory!

 

The theme of this week's "Tuesday Mornings" is "The Power of an Encouraging Word." Continue reading whenever you are ready, and then prepare to apply your gift of being an encourager to someone else. It will change that person's life, and yours as well.

 

Tom Barnard

A Senior Encourager

________________________________________________________________

 

The Power of an Encouraging Word

Tom Barnard

 

ncouragement is a teaching that is deeply rooted in the New Testament—in the Gospels, in Paul’s letters, and in the Letter to the Hebrews. Encouragement given and received is a theme that continues throughout the Scriptures. In Romans 12:6-8 the Apostle Paul wrote:

 

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given us…

if (a person’s gift is) encouraging, let him encourage.”

 

In his first letter to the Church at Thessalonica (5:11) Paul wrote:

 

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

 

The writer to the Hebrews echoed the same instruction (3:13):

 

“Encourage one another daily.”

 

Other New Testament phrases dovetail nicely with the task of encouraging people:

“…be kind and compassionate to one another.” (Mark 4:32)

“…build up one another.” (Mark 4:29)

“…have concern for one another.” (Philippians 2:20)

“…clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” (Col. 3:12)

 

Encouragement is a compound word built around the word “courage,’ which is formed in the word “cor,” the Latin word for heart. When we encourage someone, we give them heart. God is in the “heart” business, and he wants us to join him there.

 

I especially like the teaching from Proverbs 15:23:

 

A man finds joy in giving an apt reply—and how good is a timely word!”

 

In her book, Especially for a Woman, Ann Kiemel Anderson remembered a story told her by her sister, Jan. Here is a cutting from the story: (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1994, p. 42)

 

            Jan taught 3^rd grade once, a long time ago. One bright-eyed boy would stand at her desk,

            watch her, talk to her, and all the while wrapping his finger around a piece of her hair

            into a little curl. He thought Jan was the shining star in the night. Over and over, however,

            he did poorly in his work assignments and daily quizzes. One day Jan stopped, looked at

            him, and said, “Rodney, you are very smart. You could be doing so well in school. In fact,

            you are one of my finest students…” Before she could continue to tell him that he should

            be doing much better in school, he looked up at her with sober, large eyes. “I did not know

            that!” From that moment on, Rodney began to change. His papers were neater, cleaner and

            his spelling improved. He was one of her top students—all because she affirmed him. She

            told him something no one ever had before, and it changed his life.

 

Are there any Rodney's or Rachel's in your life? Are there any kids that you see on a regular basis that fail to measure up to your expectations? Is there some overactive child that pesters other children in the neighborhood and does not seem to respond well to authority figures? Maybe you are the key that can unlock that child’s potential. Perhaps an encouraging word from you will be the first word other than criticism that the child has ever received from anyone.

 

Encouragement is a gift of the Spirit of God. Some do it more effectively than others. But everyone can do more than they have done in the past. Encouragement is one of those gifts about which Paul said, “But eagerly desire the greater gifts.” (1 Corinthians 12:31)