What is 'encouragement' exactly?
- Helping a sad person feel happier?
- Helping a happy person stay that way?
- Or is it just one of those bland, over-used 'Christian' words that we use without thinking too much?
According to Gordon Cheng, encouragement is not only central to our church life, it belongs to one of the most powerful themes in the whole of Scripture: the power of God's Word to change lives. That powerful Word not only changes us as we hear and respond to it; but through us it changes others too.
This warm-hearted book is sprinkled with humour, insight, and practical wisdom. It explains not only what encouragement is and how it works, but how all of us can get involved.
Staff Review:
According to Gordon Cheng, encouragement is not only central to our church life, it belongs to one of the most powerful themes in the whole of Scripture: the power of God’s Word to change lives. By telling the reader the gospel frequently, this book highlights how the God who is powerful enough to create the universe is in the gospel words and in our own words too. According to Cheng there are two types of Christian speaking: words of wisdom and words of prayer. We are in a brilliant position when it comes to speaking words of wisdom as, even though we don’t have the wisdom ourselves, we know the Creator of wisdom who guides us in our words. The Bible also tells us to bring our concerns to God in prayer. As He knows perfectly every single thing about every situation who better to voice our concerns to than the One who is in control? This book serves as a challenge to consider carefully before speaking; making sure that the wisdom you have comes from God and Scripture and not assumed knowledge. Considering whether we are being gospel-minded in our conversations, we need to notice and pay attention to the detail in people’s lives because God notices and pays attention to the detail in people’s lives. We will be better able to offer words of encouragement if we know what is happening in someone’s life. Make sure you are not being self-focussed, listen to words other people say, sometimes it is wise to be silent. Words matter, but they shouldn’t stand alone. We ought to be people who speak the truth in love; we ought to be people who respond to that same truth by serving others with the whole of our lives. In the brief time we have on earth, we ought to work out how to stir one another up to love and good works. For those who trust in the Cross and know that the Day is approaching, spending time building relationships and speaking the truth in love to others will assume new significance. In encouraging each other to stand firm, we will be sharing the purpose for which Christ died and rose again.