“He [Paul] traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece” (Acts 20:2).
I grew up singing, “Home on the Range” with its renowned line, “Where seldom is heard a discouraging word….” That doesn’t describe the world in which most of us live. An expert on human behavior, Dr. Helmsteder, suggests that during the first eighteen years of life, in an average, reasonably positive home, you were told “no” or what you could not do more than 148,000 times. Positive words were in the hundreds, no more than a few thousand. We believe and learn what is repeated. As much as 77% of our thinking is negative and counterproductive. Some may remember being told they could do something only three or four times.
One of the great blessings of the Gospel message is its encouragement. We may think, “What about the words of correction in Scripture?” If you understand them they’re designed to help us and always offer God’s help in changing our behavior so we can live more effectively. He never points out behavior that hurts us without giving ways we can improve. It starts with His intervening in our lives with love and grace while we are sinners.
My life was changed when, in Bible College, my Greek professor walked up to me, put his arm around my shoulders as we walked, and gave me life-changing encouraging words. I’ve never forgotten that moment. May we, like the apostle Paul, bring encouraging words wherever we go. There are many people out there who have been told too many times “You can’t” or “You don’t matter.” The good news is that with Jesus we can and we matter.
