Oh Little-faith, you have often said, "I wish I had the courage of Great-heart, that I cold wield a great sword and be as valiant. But I stumble on every straw, and a shadow makes me afraid."
Listen, Little-faith. Great-heart is God's child and so are you. Great-heart is not one particle more God's child than you are. Peter and Paul, the most highly favored apostles, were of the family of the Most High, and so are you. The weakest Christian is as much a child of God as the strongest believer…
Although we are comforted by knowing [that we are children of God], let us not be content with a weak faith. Like the apostles, let us ask "to be strengthened in the faith" (Acts 16:5).
- from Charles Spurgeon's Morning and Evening
Happy Friday, friends!
I'm hoping to write a little more later, but I wanted to share this beautiful piece of by Charles Spurgeon with you today. I read the full passage in a devotional this morning while eating breakfast and felt so empowered.
Whether you started your day feeling more like "Little-faith" or "Great-heart", you can live as Great-heart just because you're His child. Praying for you today, readers. Stand strong in your faith and in the things you are called to today. Go forward with great heart and great confidence in His ability to work through you and in your life right now. These promises are for you!
Have you noticed at the top of the Strong+Sweet page that there is a toolbar? On that toolbar you can click a link to read a little bit about the heart behind Strong+Sweet. One day there will also be a frequently asked questions page. But what I want to draw your attention to is that button that says "encourage with us!"Friends, encouragement is a life changing seed God has given us to grow courage in the hearts of the people around us. Encouragement lifts us out of pits and reminds us that God has a victorious life planned for us, no matter where we find ourselves today.
If you clicked that button, you probably noticed that the page is not filled yet! :) I am praying about that little section and believing that God is going to use that simple section on a simple blog to bring many of us together to walk powerfully in the gift of encouragement. So I have a couple questions for you that I will be reflecting on as I pray. If you have a minute or two to answer a few of them in the comments below or in a Facebook message of some kind, that would be such a blessing to me as I pray.
1. What encourages you? What makes you feel courageous?
2. What is your favorite way to encourage someone else?
3. What does the word 'encourage' mean to you?
4. What area of your life would you really love some encouragement for?
5. And of course, any other thoughts you may have on encouragement are … encouraged. ;)
Remember, I'm praying for you today! Keep pressing through your day with "great heart". Today I will be praying that same phrase from Acts 16:5 over all of us. God, strengthen us in our faith. Strengthen our faith so we are confident that you can do the impossible and use simple things like encouragement to change the world.
Love,
Bonnie
1. What encourages you? What makes you feel courageous? ----- I feel encouraged when I'm doing creative writing. Lately, I've been doing a lot more, and that makes me feel like I feel when I tell someone about Jesus or preach - like I have valuable good news to share.
ReplyDelete2. What is your favorite way to encourage someone else? ----Probably through relationship, meaning encouragement of words, specifically seeking where someone needs love, and giving it to them where possible.
3. What does the word 'encourage' mean to you? ---- To empower someone to better things (personally, interpersonally, etc). In a way, to help someone out of what is keeping their goals from being accomplished.
4. What area of your life would you really love some encouragement for? ---- We'll see. :) I'm always blessed most through things people notice. So if there's something special to notice about me (as my wife continues to tell me there is, though I commonly don't agree), that would be encouraging to me. I love you babe! I loved this one!
1. Being around encouraging people encourages me :) And knowing that my words can be a blessing to someone is also an encouragement and makes me think more carefully about what I say! Knowing that God is with me every step of the way and will provide more than I can even imagine makes me feel courageous!
ReplyDelete2. My favorite ways to encourage someone are to send them a little note (whether text or FB or whatever) just letting them know I'm thinking about them, or simply having a positive conversation with them - listening.
3. The word 'encourage' to me means letting go of the negative and focusing on the positive - and relaying that to others.
4. I could use encouragement during a season of changing friendships and knowing God has new ones in store or current ones that will be even better!
5. I just want to encourage you by letting you know that I really love your blog and you're heart! I am so blessed by your friendship and am thankful for this time in our lives where we are walking through the same thing at the same time. I think I was going through some sort of "funk" for a while, and you've reminded me of how I once was and that I can get back to that :) Thank you for being faithful!