30 Days of Encouragement

It was the summer of 2006 in the drive thru at Taco Bell when it clicked for me...the moment when I realized the importance of encouragement. The words came from a close friend and they weren't complex. He simply told me the gift he saw in me.

As I reflected on the kind words from my friend that night I read a passage in Romans that says this: "We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully."

Something inside of me came alive when I read that passage of scripture. We have all been uniquely gifted by our Creator. We all have something to offer this world and what we have to offer is good.

I began to couple my recent revelation that we all have a gift, with a verse in Hebrews 10. "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching." When I looked at these two passages in Romans and Hebrews, I noticed something huge. We have been given a powerful opportunity to call out the gifts and talents that we see in the people that God has placed in our lives!

In light of this eye opening realization, I decided to try something. As awkward as I thought it would be, I started intentionally telling people the gifts I saw in them. I realized that as I encouraged the people around me in their specific gifts, they started operating out of them more and more. Friends that were naturally servant hearted started serving more. Friends that were filled with wisdom began to share that wisdom, and share it often. Friends gifted in showing grace and mercy, became even more gracious and merciful.

In the month of May, I will be challenging myself to encourage at least one person a day and I want to bring you guys along for the journey. In order to do this, I'll be blogging about the experience throughout the month. My intent in sharing this with you is not to boast of what I'm doing, but in hopes of revealing some simple and effective methods of encouragement. I'm praying that this experience empowers you to build up and affirm individuals in your life, causing those that you're encouraging to be a bigger blessing than they already are.

You guys are incredible and I love you more than you know.

James