This morning before Jamie headed out he gave me a gift bag and said. ‘I love you, this is not an Anniversary gift but a 40 Days until you’re 40 gift.’ Then he died laughing and said let the countdown begin! Inside was a beautiful black dress that I wore today for our church’s 8th Anniversary. The beauty wasn’t in the dress or in the hysteria of his laugh, it was in his words.
Two months ago I’d felt to I write some sort of encouragement for the 40 days leading up to my 40th birthday. About two weeks after I’d felt to do this, I had a friend Paula Morand start a ‘50 days until 50’ memory challenge (which is great) but similar!! Not, wanting to appear as a clone, I shrugged off what I felt to do, until Jamie’s words hit me as he handed me the gift this morning. As I heard ‘40 days until 40’ I felt it was a word for me to get at it and not to let the opportunity to share pass me by. So my friends as I prayed about it today, this one thing kept coming back to me. - Learn To Encourage Yourself - it’s something I HAD to learn early ministry or I would have tapped out. When our friend Pastor Roger Matzke preached on it in our house years later my spirit lept because it was something I knew the value of. It’s a lesson you’ll hear and have to put into practice time and time again through many seasons of your life.
‘Learn to Encourage Yourself!’ There have been seasons in my life where people have failed, disappointed, or abandoned me. There are seasons in my friends lives where I’m sure I have unknowingly done the same thing. So when we learn to encourage OURSELVES in the Lord it changes everything!
We no longer throw unhealthy expectations on leaders or friends because we know our value and strength comes from the Lord.
We no longer need mans stamp of approval or have time to wallow in self pity because we’ve learned to encourage ourselves when no one is there to encourage us. Its great and it’s important to have those who will rally around us and cheer us on, I think it’s valuable. But when no one is cheering you on, knowing how to encourage yourself in the Lord is VITAL! He will refresh, encourage and strengthen you unlike any man, women or leader ever could.
‘Learn to Encourage Yourself!’ There have been seasons in my life where people have failed, disappointed, or abandoned me. There are seasons in my friends lives where I’m sure I have unknowingly done the same thing. So when we learn to encourage OURSELVES in the Lord it changes everything!
We no longer throw unhealthy expectations on leaders or friends because we know our value and strength comes from the Lord.
We no longer need mans stamp of approval or have time to wallow in self pity because we’ve learned to encourage ourselves when no one is there to encourage us. Its great and it’s important to have those who will rally around us and cheer us on, I think it’s valuable. But when no one is cheering you on, knowing how to encourage yourself in the Lord is VITAL! He will refresh, encourage and strengthen you unlike any man, women or leader ever could.
1 Samuel 30:6 David was greatly distressed... but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.
When you’re distressed, down, or needing encouragement, there’s only one place to find it. In the Lord!
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