The Power of a Kind Word
People need encouragement like flowers need water: Without it, they wilt and die. With it, they are renewed, refreshed, and ready to thrive.
Anon.
The Goal: I will be an encouragement to others. I will look for opportunities to uplift, to help, and to spur others to greatness. I will not say any word that might unnecessarily discourage one of God's children.
I don't remember this particular fifth grader's name, but I will never forget the season that he had in the "C" basketball league in Casper, Wyoming in 1995. I had 28 boys who had gone out for basketball and only a few days to decide which of the four teams that each would play on. One of the boys, I will call him "Bob", was determined to let everyone know, including me, just who really was in charge. So, I "conditioned" Bob.
Each day at practice I would begin to put the boys through their drills. This was Bob's cue to say something smart. As soon as he did, Bob would run. Bob got really good at running but I never got to see him play much - so I put him on the "C" team. Bob quit. Later that evening, Bob's dad called and we visited a bit and Bob decided to give it another try. So, I encouraged Bob.
A few months later, Bob led his team to the "C" league championship. Strange, isn't it?
Since that time I have worked with hundreds of kids, including more than a few "Bobs". This is what I have learned: While discipline is vital for producing decent human beings, it is of little value without encouragement. If you and I will look for the good in others and find some way to acknowledge that good with an encouraging word, we will see amazing things in our lifetime. We will see champions and success stories and view people who are filled with joy and hope.
More importantly, if we will encourage one another to do good things for Christ, we will see their very lives change. And someday, we might just see these same people in Heaven, perhaps in some small part because of a word or two of encouragement that we provided along the way. Who might benefit from your encouragement today?
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
Hebrews 10:24, NIV
