Believing in Others

"Prayer is the way we recognize potential in others", says author Mark Batterson in his book The Circle Maker.  1 Corinthians 14:3 says a prophet speaks words of comfort and encouragement as prompted by the Holy Spirit. We need each other. We need to speak words of encouragement to one another, to build one another up, just as scripture says (Hebrews 10:24,25).

As I was reading this morning I couldn't help but think of the message I posted yesterday of the family that Larrys knows and his desire to be the reminder of hope and encouragement for others.  This story followed in my reading...

I grew up in an alcoholic household where I never heard a positive word. On my way home from school I would always stop in at Jimmy's, the local dry cleaner, because I knew he kept candy on the counter.  He got to know me, and told me one afternoon, "Michael, you are a very smart boy. Someday you are going to run a very big business." I would listen to him in disbelief and return home only to get called a "dog" and knocked around by my dad. But you know... Jimmy the dry cleaner was the only person I can remember believing in my... Today I run a multimillion dollar health care organization, just like Jimmy predicted. I guess you could say that a dry cleaner was the prophet in my life.

It only takes one person to speak the words of hope that motivate another to dream.  It only takes one person to believe in another, for great things to happen. "Our words have the potential to change lives by helping people discover their identity and destiny in Jesus Christ." 

I want my words to bring life and not death (Proverbs 18:21).  And when we don't have words to say, let our actions be the encouragement that build one another up.

I've learned that

people will forget what you said,

people will forget what you did,

but people will never forget

how you made them feel.

 -Maya Angelou