“I am so bored, Lord.” This was my thought as I sat in a small group in a coffee shop.
My church offers many, many small groups. Often, I teach groups, but when I do not, I attend groups. It is another way for me to get acquainted with other women from my church. It also allows me to be in an environment where it is iron sharpening iron. “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17). We need other people to help sharpen our walk with God. Be aware though – that might cause a few sparks to fly. Yet, we all need people to help us grow in Christ.
As I sat in that first small group meeting on a Saturday morning, there were more than twenty women. I thought to myself, “This is going to be a great group!” We had all spent twenty dollars on a book that looked interesting and helpful. By the time I finished sitting through the first meeting, I drove home thinking, “I am not going back to this. I am so bored. I am a busy woman. This is not an effective use of my time.”
When the next Saturday rolled around, I kept feeling the nudge of Holy Spirit to go back to the group. “Lord, please! I do not want to go.” Yet, I knew I was to go. It was even harder to sit through the second group meeting, and I once again vowed that I was not going back. The Lord and I had this conversation weekly over the next several weeks.
One day as I was complaining to the Lord. I mean praying! I sensed God say to me, “Stop complaining. I do not have you there for You, but for someone else.”
I finished all twelve weeks of the group except for weekends when I was traveling for ministry. Over those twelve weeks, the attendance of the group steadily declined. When the last weekend of the group came, only four people were in attendance. I still had no clue why I was there.
The group leader was a young woman in her twenties. Her parting comments came with tears. She explained that she had never stepped out and done anything for God. She was afraid to lead the group because she thought no one would come, and no one would want to hear what she said. With a choke in her voice, she thanked us for our attendance. “Ellen” (not her name) said that she now had confidence that she could step out and do something for the Kingdom of God.
Instantly, I understood why I was there. I was there for Ellen.
Encouragement is something we all need to help us stay motivated, loved, and feeling confident that we can be used by God. We all know what it can feel like to pursue something, whether it is starting new job or trying to make small changes in life—and not get any feedback or encouragement. Sometimes it can make you want to quit!
First Thessalonians chapter five verse eleven tells us, “So encourage each other and build each other up …” A commitment to encourage others challenges us all to selflessly lift the countenance of someone else — no matter what we might be facing ourselves. As we offer encouragement to others, we can trust that God, in His sovereignty, will encourage us. This is the principle described in Proverbs 11:25, “… whoever refreshes others will be refreshed” (NIV).
Pray for God to make you an encourager. Ask Him to connect you with those who simply need encouragement. Ask Him to give you a heart that loves others and the creativity to know how to show it. Ask Him to help you die to self-centeredness and grow in a desire to build others up. What would happen if we all began to intentionally encourage others?
“Ellen” is still leading groups today because four women continued to show up to encourage her. Ask God to bring “Ellen” across your path. Sometimes, God wants us to be where we do not want to be because Ellen needs us.