Give Encouragement

[Att:flickr.com/photos/the_yes_man/4648999621]

Romans 12 :6-8 NIV
We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.
If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith;
if it is serving, then serve;
if it is teaching, then teach;
if it is to encourage, then give encouragement;
if it is giving, then give generously;
if it is to lead, do it diligently;
if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

As a new Christian (or baby-Christian as Joyce Meyer sometimes says),
I've been reading/listening-to Bible Plans on my Iphone App (https://www.bible.com/app).

The Romans 12:6-8 NIV scriptures above appeared in the 'Life Word : Discovering Your One Word To Leave A Legacy' bible-study-plan (http://getoneword.com/lifeworddevotional/)

This reminded me of the desire my sister and I had years ago to have a coaching business / product to help serve by encouraging others.

We really started it because we were in such desperate need of encouragement ourselves..

And before accepting Christ into my life,
it was called..
"Give what you need, and it will come back to you".

Worldly spiritual advice that we did our best to implement and experiment to see what results would come of it..

But in Christian understanding,
God won't bless what he didn't ask us to do..
And even if we ask Him to bless it,
He will still do it in his perfect way and time.

In other words, the project "failed" - we simply didn't have the energy or emotion or vision or whatever (God's anointing) to bring it to fruition and bring it to completion.

The "plant" lived, but it definitely did not fruit.
Survived, or barely-stayed-alive is probably a better description of what came of that project.

Yet, seeing/receiving this scripture today from God made me feel...

You know what? God gave me and my sister the gift of loving and supporting ourselves and others with the gift of positive thinking and encouragement.

Even if we don't make any money of it,
it is still my responsibility to develop this gift and help it to grow
so it can glorify God and bring more of God's light and love into the living.

So here I am, again, after stumbling so many times..
Starting project after project,
yet finding it impossible to finish/complete/follow-through any of them to fruition/completion on my own power, will, resources, determination.

This time round, I trust God that it will be different, it will be better, it will bear fruit, because He is with me always, He is my Strength, my Wisdom, my Faith, my Knowledge, my Provider. In Him, all things are possible.

And I trust that if this is a skill he has gifted me with,
He will bless my intent to give it away as freely, joyfully, stupendously as I can
so He will be glorified and I will bear fruit.

I pray You too will be encouraged to seek God and time with Him together with me as we continue to grow in our journeys with Our Almighty Prince of Peace.

In Jesus' name I pray.