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Friday, August 15, 2008

We all need encouragement


Reading through devotions that are sent to me each day by Joanne, encourages me greatly in my daily walk. Sometimes people seem to forget that we all need to be ministered to, especially those whose allotted task is to minister to others on a full-time basis. I often say to people that I'm unable to go to church every Sunday even though I would love to, explaining that it's because I have to work almost every Sunday of the year. Often they don't understand what I men, and point out that I do go to church almost every week. Just occasionally there will be somebody who understands exactly what I'm driving at. Yes I go to church, but I'm there to work! I'm there to minister to the need of others. Of course I get a blessing from my calling, but I need to be ministered to as well.

There are times when I, just like everyone else, feel down, and it's at times like these that I find the Lord sends someone along to encourage and uplift me. Just when I begin to feel that I'm not really making a difference someone comes along to tell me what a difference I make to their life in one way or another. Often it will be because I care enough to pray for them. Other times it will be something that I've been led to say in a service. Of course, the real answer is that it's really Jesus that makes the difference, for without my desire to reach out to others in His name and for His sake I would not be able to give the blessings that I do.

Sometimes I find that things seem to be working better than ever in my ministry, which is a great encouragement to me. yet those are the times when I know that I need to be even more 'on guard' than ever, for when the enemy sees that we are making headway then that is when he decides to attack us in some sneaky way. So I guess that coming under satanic attack is, in a strange way, a stamp of approval on our work for the Lord. After all, if we weren't busy for the Lord then we wouldn't be worrying the devil!

Be encouraged! Everything that you do for others through your devotions or in any other way,when you do it in service to the Lord Jesus you are furthering the work of the Kingdom. When the words that you write are an encouragement to others in their ministry then that's all part of the important work that we are all called to.

1 comment:

koinonia community said...

When things seem to crumble all around us, and when we are faced with criticism and ridicule, that is when my husband starts getting excited. He says we must truly be living for God. He rejoices. I'm sure glad I have him to remind me, because I sometimes have difficulty seeing it that way. I believe he is my encourager.