:: To Worship Him ::

Do you know people that seem to be sucking on “lemons” They are so serious you are sure their face will crack if they smile, let alone laugh. I really feel for these people for they will certainly stay that way if they don’t learn how to cut loose and enjoy life. Someone once said that the person that is happy is the person that can laugh at themselves. We do, or should I say, I do things that continually amuse me. And there are times that I have to laugh at myself to keep from crying, know what I mean?

Norman Cousins relates a story of himself in his book The Anatomy of an Illness: As Perceived by the Patient. He tells of being hospitalized with a rare, crippling disease. When he was diagnosed as incurable, Cousins checked out of the hospital. Aware of the harmful effects that negative emotions can have on the body, Cousins reasoned the reverse was true. So he borrowed a movie projector and prescribed his own treatment, consisting of Marx Brothers films and old “Candid Camera” reruns. It didn’t take long for him to discover that 10 minutes of laughter provided two hours of pain-free sleep. Amazingly, his debilitating disease was eventually reversed. After the account of his victory appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine, Cousins received more than 3000 letters from appreciative physicians throughout the world.

No matter where we are, what we do, the climate, our surroundings, there will always be circumstances around us that are completely out of our control. Things just happen that we can’t even attempt to get a handle on. We can’t predict it, prevent it, or somehow move it out of the way. Things just happen and we can only chalk it up to LIFE! Something we can do is follow the example of Norman Cousins. We always have the ability to laugh if we can only find the switch. Laughter is caused by purposefully looking for things to laugh at, like the Marx Brothers. We must train ourselves to look for humor in everything that comes our way. When we do that, even in the worst settings, we can find humor. A good start daily, to get us on our way, is to look in the mirror the first thing in the morning. That should bring a chuckle!

Laughter gives us a release. A break. It brings strength and helps us look on the bright and sunny side. Proverbs 17:22 says,
“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.” And to think, it is free. Needs no insurance supplement, and it actually tastes good. So what are we waiting for?

“Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify (encourage) another.” Romans 14:19

There is a great story told about Willie Mays when he began his major league career. He had only one hit in this first 26 times at bat. Though he went on to hit 660 home runs and steal more than 300 bases, his debut was so unimpressive it seemed unlikely that he would last more than a few weeks as a big-leaguer, let alone become one of the greatest to play the game.

The turning point came for Mays when his manager, Leo Durocher, found Mays crying in the dugout after yet another miserable performance at the plate. The coach put his arm around Mays and said, “What’s the matter, son?” Mays said, “I can’t hit up here. I belong in the minor leagues.” Durocher responded, “As long as I am manager of the Giants, you will be my centerfielder.” And of course the rest of the story is history.

Someone took the time to encourage another and look at the difference it made not only in a ball player’s life but probably the lives of thousands of kids that grew up wanting to play ball like Willie Mays. We never know the extent to what a word of encouragement can mean in someone’s life. The opposite can apply as well. Many giftings and talents have been wasted because of negative words spoken instead of encouragements.

Paul recognized the value of encouragement in someone’s life. When encouragement is offered to others, it ignites strength. It brings hope. When we encourage, the Word says we build up. I’m very grateful for the people in my life that have stood on the sidelines yelling “come on, you can do it!” So many times those voices were the boost that kept me going.

Is there someone you know that needs your vote of confidence? Is there someone you know that is ready to throw in the towel? Maybe God has put them upon your heart so that you can speak into their life. You have this opportunity to lift them up. The confidence you can speak into their life could very well save their life and their ministry. Ask the Lord to bring people to mind who might need your encouragement.

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as you are in fact doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11

1. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit.
2. With humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves.
3. Do not merely look our for your own interests.
4. Look out for the interests of others.

When we are in real Christian fellowship, we will experience mutuality.  We will learn to live depending on one another.  To do this we must learn to be real with one another.  To be open and honest with one another takes a lot of courage.  Learning to walk in humility is certainly one of the greatest keys to Christian living.  Humility does not come naturally.  We must work on it.  The life that the Lord would have us live is experiencing life together.  It is unselfish loving, honest sharing, practical serving, sacrificial giving and comforting those that are in need.  The Lord gave His life so that we could walk in community and fellowship.

As I said earlier, focusing on Jesus and having a close relationship with Him results in a positive Christian lifestyle.  A lifestyle of selflessness, generosity and community.