As Paul tells us in Romans, we are all one body in Christ with many members but all the members do not have the same function. We are all given spiritual gifts, differing according to the grace that is given to us, and we are to use them. There is one gift that some people have an abundance of but it is also one we all are able to use, the gift of encouragement. It is a powerful gift that can start wheels turning or squash people in their tracks. A simple word of encouragement can brighten one’s day or bring on dark clouds. So, which are you, an encourager or a discourager? It takes little to no effort to say something encouraging. Think about Joses in the early church. He was such a positive guy the Apostles changed his name to Barnabas which means son of encouragement! Make it a goal to be a Barnabas to everyone you meet. You’ll not only be honoring the Lord, you’ll be somebody everybody wants to know!

Brighten the Day