 |
| Be a People Builder |
Are you an encourager? Can anyone “Be a People Builder?” Such questions may very well cause many to shake their heads in a (no) response.
But why is that? Why aren’t we all encouragers. Why aren’t we building up people on a day-to-day basis?
I believe the answer lies within this quote from Joel Osteen, as he dives into chapter twenty-three of Every Day A Friday, with this powerful statistic:
“I read that 75 percent of people in prison reported that either their parents or their guardians had predicted in childhood where they would end up. The wrong seeds were planted. Low expectations were set.”
That’s an alarming statistic
But Joel goes on to elaborate on the above stat of sadness as he says...
“When a child is told to expect the worst, the child becomes the worst. I often wonder what would have happened if somebody would have told those people in prison that they might one day be doctors or entrepreneurs or great teachers. There’s no telling where those inmates might have ended if only they’d had people builders in their lives.
If only someone had believed in them and taken the time to draw out their gifts, to listen to their dreams, to see what they were good at, and then encourage them to be the best they could be. If only someone had given them permission to succeed instead of a prediction that they would fail.”
Beloved, let me back up a little and give the definition of an encourager. An encourager first and foremost is someone who urges forward people in a direction of success and great outcome, by speaking faith-filled words into their life as early on as possible.
This verse in scripture Joel shares with us, is on encouragement, and I personally see it as a foundational principle to successful living: “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up..” (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV)
I have shared this quote and foundational principle of successful living many times, and it’s from my pastor; Ps. Troy Gramling, in that he says, ‘It may have not been modeled for you, but you model it.’
His words, coupled with the verse in scripture above easily directs us on how we can all be encouragers, and build up people to reach their God-given potential.
•Model it
•Encourage others
•Build each other up
We have a foundation, now to learn how to do it!
Joel helps us out with this, and wonderfully may I add, as he says, “How do you encourage someone? You study that person and identify what he or she does well. What excites him? What are her strengths? An encourager sees things in others that they often can’t see in themselves.”
Now to have a few simple examples on how to put the above into practice
Joel shares these two quick tips for us to be well on our way to being the encouragers God has created and called us to be:
1. A simple compliment
2. A single word of encouragement
And I will add, that it’s all intentional outreach
Those two simple tips can start an encouraging revolution in your lifetime. Joel’s two easy tips ‘can give a person the confidence he or she needs to take that step of faith.’
Beloved, most of us only need a simple boost; a little push, a little encouragement to become what God created and called us to be.
Maybe you were meant to bring that new revolutionary idea into the automotive business. Maybe you were meant to become that inspirational actor on Broadway or Hollywood. Whether a passionate teacher, a politician that stands for the people, a brilliant doctor paving the way in the latest medical technology, a lawyer who stands up for social injustice, the next best selling author of reading revolution or the next future minister to pastor the Lord’s Church, it will all start with someone encouraging you along the way to help you realize and chase after your God-given potential.
We cannot reach our potential on our own, but together, just as the scripture above says, in ‘building each other up,’ we can experience a life of purpose and fulfillment realized.
These words of life spoke into me, and I know they will speak into you! “In living a life to encourage and build others up, you cannot imagine what it will mean to those you affirm when you give them your approval and let them know in no uncertain terms that you are proud of them and think they are destined to do great things. Everyone needs to be valued. Everyone needs to be appreciated. Every person needs that blessing.” — Be a People Builder.
“Abuelita Chentia”
(A Legacy Left Behind)
 |
| Abuelita Chentia (center) |
My beloved Mishel Estrada’s great grandmother “Abuelita Chentia” was a humble hard working woman from the country of Guatemala who lived to the great old age of 93. She was a compassionate woman who helped struggling families. To earn money she made candy or “dulces” as they call it in Guatemala. She was a woman of strong faith, and as the Word of God declares it so, she came to have faith by hearing the Word of God, in that she was a woman who could not read, yet that did not stop her from desiring to hear the Word of Truth, Freedom, Hope and Love, as she asked whoever was available, to read the Bible to her and from that, and hearing ministers preach she learned the Word of God. Hallelujah!
Abuelita Chentia, was a woman of prayer, and it was apparent as she prayed for her village “pueblo,” her children, grand children and great grand children everyday by her bedside. She helped young single mothers learn how to work. In becoming a widow when her son was at the age of 12, she raised him on her own, yet it did not keep her from being a great encouragement to so many. Abuelita Chentia passed away in 1984, yet her prayers generations before, are visible today, in that her daughter gave birth to a daughter (Señora Magda) that gave birth to three daughters: Olimka Mishel, Lijia and Madelyn. Olimka Mishel, is a strong woman of faith, a woman of prayer, and a great encouragement to many just like her great grandmother. Lijia and Madelyn are both mothers raising three beautiful children collectively (Avigail, Marcelo and Vincente)
 |
| Avigail, Vincente & Marcelo |
Abuelita Chentia was able to hold her beautiful great grandchildren (Olimka Mishel and Madelyn) in her arms before passing away in 1984 at the age of 93 to be in glory with the Lord forevermore. She lived a full life, but even greater, she lived a life to be a great encouragement and help to many, bringing the love of God to her world. Amen.
I was told by her great grandchild, my beloved, Olimka Mishel that her favorite hymn was called “Firmes, Y Adelante!” de los Himnos de la vida Cristiana. In which is translated “Firm, and Going Forward!” from the book Hymns of the Christian Life.
I didn’t have the privilege and great honor of meeting Abuelita Chentia, but from what amazing things I hear of her, I know I would’ve loved her just as her big family still loves her. Amen. I mentioned this to Olimka Mishel, “I can only hope and pray, that I too, will leave such an amazing legacy that the impact is still being felt and embraced generations later after I have longed past, just like Abuelita Chentia left behind.” Amen.
Olimka Mishel Estrada
(Strong woman of faith)
 |
| My Beloved |
My beloved Olimka Mishel Estrada, is a prime example of encouraging and building others up.
There’s an endless list of her amazing attributes and times of encouraging and building others up. But I will share two distinct words of victory she spoke into me.
When we first met in 2009 and grew as friends, she said these unforgettable words to me. She said, “God placed this into my heart about you. ‘You were last, but now you will be first.’” and God’s Word declares such a promise, in that it says, ‘The Lord will make you the head and not the tail.’
She also shared this with me. “Reading is such a blessing. You can learn so much from reading. So many people are blessed by God with great words of encouragement and insight from their own lives through what God has done and is doing with them. Read more than you can grow more.”
Three years later, I am very much an advocate for reading and can’t get enough of it. And the seed of faith-filled words she spoke to me, I am experiencing daily in my life! God be praised for Olimka Mishel Estrada! Te amo mi bebe.
Without her persevering encouragement and her willingness to always build me up, I may very well not be reading more, learning and growing more, and I certainly wouldn’t have embraced the promise blessing of being the first and no longer the last! Praise You Jesus!
Beloved, you and I can follow in the footsteps of so many others before us, and as Joel suggests as a simple exercise and assignment, we can ‘find at least one person we can build up. Write their names on a sheet of paper. List what we like about them, their strengths. Pray over that. Ask God to show us ways to bless them. And then speak favor into their lives.’
My Takeaway & Prayer:
Our lives are meant for more than looking after our own interest. We should look with intentionality to encourage and build others up by speaking faith-filled words into their current lives and futures. Knowing that the tongue is a powerful tool, and unless we harness it for good we will most certainly curse others by predicting the worse to come out of them, let us boast great encouragement out of our mouths into the lives of others. Though many of us have not had encouragement and the skill of people building shown to us, we can all know we are empowered to model it ourselves. It doesn’t take much, and encouraging others is as simple as an acknowledgement of a person’s life and worth by saying “thank you for all you do.”
Father and encouraging God, thank You that although encouraging others may not have been modeled for us, Your amazing love seen through so many, can empower us to model it and build others up. I thank You that as we see to others succeeding you will cause us to succeed. I thank You that when we model it for others and sow faith-filled words into their lives, You our great God will make sure we rise higher. You are a wonderful God who models all things good. Help us to be the encouragers You created and called us to be. We want to make You proud and see many live successful lives. We pray this, in Jesus name. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment