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HATSOEVER thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. (Ecclesiastes 9:10)
The above text may seem an unlikely choice to begin a discussion on ENCOURAGEMENT, but bear with me. The etymology of the word derives from the French which means to instill courage. There are many ways to instill courage in others to keep going when hope may seem forlorn. I believe the most effective means of encouragement comes by way of personal example to others.
In my young years as a cadet, our long march with full backpacks in the mountains of New York, was physically draining. Often, I wanted to simply stumble to the wayside and give up; but, when I saw the upper-class commander carrying on with deliberate determination, I was made ashamed to surrender the march. I drew strength from his example without taking away a single breath of his own march.
I am blessed above all I could have imagined by having a group of fine young Christian Koreans in my Church. I take pride in them for their determination and self-discipline. They take the counsel of Solomon in the above passage seriously and act upon it. The result? They excel in every avenue of life in which they engage whether in academics, the arts, athletics, or the social graces. I love these as my own children and draw much encouragement from them.
Though we are the smallest Church in my city, our youth cast an inordinate light upon themselves, our Church, their school, and their parents. Their records of achievement are commendatory. We have doctors, architects, business managers, nurses, and a host of other successful pursuits to list among our small membership. Though most speak English as a second language, they read fluently from the King James Bible and are pleased to sing the biblically strong classic hymns of the Church.
Success and achievement become habitual to the one who practices doing every task to the best of his or her ability. The seemingly innate courage that we witness in those who are stellar in their achievements in life are not usually drawn from the encouragement of others, though many may be, but from the deep wells of personal faith in the truth of Solomon’s axiom. Courage is born of conviction and love. That one who is convinced of the biblical prescriptions of life and example of our Lord will not fail to love His Word and to do His will. One truth that will never escape their thoughts and actions are these: I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me. (Philippians 4:13)
As ministers, we sometimes have doubts if we are preaching the Word with power and conviction. Often we believe that we may be preaching against a brick wall since there is never any evidence in the hearers that the preaching reached the tender sinews of the heart. Even if we do not lack courage in preaching the pure Word of God, we may lack confidence that we are not failing to do that Word justice. In some cases, encouragement may come from an unlikely source.
Last Sunday (14th Trinity) our Church joined with another Korean Church (The Lighthouse Church) in our community for joint worship to celebrate the thirty-first anniversary of their founding. By coincidence, our Church of St. Andrews was also founded, almost to the day, 27 years ago in that Church. After five years, we were able to acquire our own worship facility. I was invited to present a sermon of encouragement on which I worked tirelessly in preparation but did not use that prepared sermon after all. I felt as if the Holy Spirit gave me utterance. Following the sermon, no one made in comment on it, good or bad. I worried that maybe I had not done the Word of God justice especially to a congregation of mixed languages. However, on Sunday night, I received a gracious note from our high school organist that changed everything: “You did so well today. I am so proud to go to Saint Andrews. See you next Sunday.” Short, simple, but a powerful encouragement to me. It was so because I am aware of the pure sincerity of its expression. I have been commended by many in other churches, but this one word of encouragement meant all the world to me.
Following Christ is not a difficult undertaking if we act out of undiluted love for Him, His Word, and to others of our neighbors. But sometimes, loves requires the effort to overlook those same deficiencies of life in others that we experience in our own lives. If we feel the need for encouragement, it can come from deep within our faith in God and, sometimes, enhanced by the simple encouragement of an innocent young lady.
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