I have a few people in my life right now who encourage me on a weekly basis and sometimes it is more like daily. Honestly, in all my years as Pastor I have never received as much support and encouragement as I am now. God has surrounded me with people who are a huge blessing to my life by their words and deeds. Their support is teaching me how to be a better encourager to the people in my life. I know I have shared some of this before on my blog but much of it needs repeating. So here are some of the lessons I am learning:

1. Pray for People … and tell them that you are doing it. When the apostle Paul writes his letters to the Churches of the New Testament he will often say “I thank my God for you” or “for this reason I am praying for you” or something about what he is praying for that Church. I never really understood that till lately. I am so encouraged every time someone tells me they are praying for me. It helps me in my Christian walk to know I have the prayer support of those around me.

2. Tell People You Were Blessed By Them … right now. I have a group of people who immediately send me a text or email when a sermon hit home or a blog touched their heart or I did anything meaningful to them. I am so encouraged that people are listening and reading. I am even more encouraged that these people would then go out of their way to tell me about it. People saying things as I stand at the back door of the Church are pretty insignificant no matter how heartfelt. Everyone is forced to walk by the preacher at the back door and almost everyone is very positive, so the words kind of get lost. Taking a few minutes to send a text or email or a written letter or a phone call are especially encouraging.

3. Share Positive Gossip … in a positive way. I know that God is completely against gossip because it can divide and destroy a Church. Lately I have had a couple of people tell me about other congregational members who have said something positive about me. They told me about a conversation in which someone else was praising me behind my back. It has become a real source of encouragement because these conversations were not to my face. These people were honestly sharing their thoughts with others and when I heard that they had good things to share I was encouraged. Gossip it only destructive when it is used negatively but used positively it can be an encouragement.

4. Celebrate Other People’s Victories … with a pure heart. When we purchased our home last week several people have congratulated us. I am not going to lie – it is a very nice house. God used the equity we had from Alaska and matched with a couple desperate to sell and we got a great deal. As a result many people have said “congratulations” in a way that seemed jealous. There is a difference between hearing “Wow, you got a nice house” and “I am so happy you were able to get a house for you and your family.” People who are genuinely happy for me are a huge encouragement.

5. Small Gifts are a Big Blessing … when given without string attached. Since I have arrived in Adrian I have received dozens of small gifts from people in the Church. These gifts have ranged from meals to gifts cards to fresh produce to cookies to warm chocolate pie. It is a such a huge encouragement to know that people have thought about me and my family. A small gesture means as much to me as a large gift, sometimes even more. Just to know that you thought about me as a friend or family member and not just a pastor is a great feeling. A small gift can do great things for the heart.

These are some of the things I am learning about encouraging. Don’t get me wrong – I am not writing this post to get gifts or cards or words of praise for myself. I am writing this post to help build a community of people who care for one another. I am praying that God will touch your heart and you will do something today to encourage another person in the body of Christ. I want to be a part of a group of people who care for one another as much as people care for me. Thank God for them. Thank God for you.