Today’s Theme: Living Unselfishly
Today’s Dare: Dare to Seek Another’s Best
“Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” Hebrews 3:13
Day 28 and the dare is winding down. I have to admit, though it might sound funny coming from the author, but I am going to start it again Aug. 1st. There are basics that I need to keep sitting in over and over again. The past 28 days have got me focused upward, no matter how crazy things have been.
Today’s dare is important because we live in a society that is so self-focused that people do not often compliment or encourage other people. In fact, we can be so self-focused that we don’t even notice when they do something good or right. And, as Christians it seems we don’t want to puff someone up with pride, so we live in a non-encouraging deflating mode.
Pride is not our issue to worry about it someone’s life. If there is a pride issue that is between them and God. What is between us and God is how we treat others and IF we are lining up to Scripture in that regard ourselves.
Seriously….can’t get much clearer….encourage one another DAILY. And, to think that when we don’t we become hardened!
I never set out to become a Christian author. To be honest, it is something that I literally fell into, by first writing some curriculum for my church…that got published, and is still in print 10 years later! But, it seems that the more doors God opens up for me, the less encouragement I get from people. In fact the road can get pretty lonely. I get it….people don’t want to flatter or over encourage, because they don’t want to contribute to pride in a person’s life…but Hello People! It is not our job to try to micro manage how someone else handles life and compliments! And, it’s not our place to determine who has bad motives or wrong attitudes. That is God’s business. But it is our job to encourage other people. Just know this, that some people can use a word of encouragement, and you might be God’s tool speaking that type of love to them…
Did you know that encourage means…to give courage to ?
All people need courage to carry out what God has called them to do. Pastors, authors, public figures, are not exempt from needing courage. Perhaps they need it more, because what they are called to is so hard by the nature of it being public.
Maybe that will help you….when you encourage, you are giving someone else courage to go one, to do what God has asked them to do, to be the best them in Christ they can be, to serve, love, and bear fruit.
We all get discouraged and need to be handed courage. Jesus uses us, as his hands and feet, and uses us to lift others up….unless we are too prideful and hard to cooperate with him.
There are some serious questions to ask ourselves today….
- Do you encourage others?
- Do you only encourage others who like you?
- Do you look for good and speak up about it, even when there is nothing in it for you?
The scripture and dare speak for itself. Let God speak to you today about your encouragement meter…and may HE, by the power of His Spirit, humble us all to the point of being able to give courage to others consistently.
Today…who can you give courage to? The clerk at the store, the nurse at the Dr.s office, the rushed mom on your street, the lonely neighbor…..is it time to send your pastor a card? Do the thing that scripture tells us to do..ENCOURAGE…give courage.
Living up!
Debbie
I encourage you to keep encouraging us – is that selfish? I hope not. I love what you have to say and you say it in such a way that it tugs on my heart and gets me motivated to seek God fully each day. Keep on keeping on. I appreciate you dearly. The dares are daring today, but so worth it. Thanks!!
I am going to start the Dares over again as well. I have been so much happier focusing up so purposefully each day!!
Today’s dare is my favorite so far. Being an encourager is Scriptual, and yet it hasn’t occured to me how closely tied in this is with the 2nd commmandment to love others as ourselves.
Now I see that encouraging others acts as Christ being there with His arms open to the person we encourage.
Oh my gracious, it’s a terrible thing to get so engrossed in my own “stuff” and fail to encourage and thank someone who is helping me. Thank you Debbie for the difference you are making in MY life. May Jesus bless you real good.
I am thankful God doesn’t give up on me. I sure blew this Dare. Yesterday was a day full of anxiety, and waiting. I took the day off of work to take care of a situation my daughter got herself into. It brought up all my emotions from the night it happened. Instead of being encouraging to her, I was focusing on me. Yesterday was a horrible day. I re-read the dare from yesterday and realized I didn’t even try. Today i will focus on being content and trusting God in this trial in our life. I want to be encouraging to my daughter, not focused on how this has made me feel.
I love the days re: forgiveness
I was laid off and I still have some pain regarding that decision. occassionally the tears will come, but then I focus on Jesus and get a new perspective, I can keep on going and not wallow in the feelings.
I am starting the dares again too. Have to admit that I have looked forward to them each morning.
Judy…I am so glad that as you focus on the Lord, he is helping you overcome in your circumstance. It’s hard to be laid off, but the Lord Jesus has you in His hand, will not drop you or put you down! Keep Looking Up to Him and receiving fresh perspective and peace.
Marissa…we can all relate to not even trying sometimes! The best thing we can do is get up, and get going again….looking to the Lord. We are all in this together. Trusting God doesn’t come as naturally as fretting. But, in time, as we train our focus, we will all become for accustomed to trusting first, not last. Take Care! You are His…Remember!