Are You An Encourager Or A Discourager?

by Grace Alfieri

We are living in difficult and hateful times, and we are all witnessing the viciousness, evil, and cruelty that is going on in this world. It is a good time to ask: am I being influenced by the culture?

Am I becoming an encourager or a discourager? Discouragers cause walls of division between people, but we forget that we need the support of one another. Do we major in encouragement (building people up) or in tearing people down? Do we nag and harass our family and friends about their weaknesses or praise them for their strengths? When you enter a room or people see you at the shopping mall, do they avoid you because they know you have an ever-ready list of the faults of everyone and anyone, or do people cheer because you are a bright light of sunshine? I remember reading a true story about when Lou Gehrig, the great baseball hero, was starting his baseball career. He went into a slump and grew so discouraged he was thinking of quitting. After several bad games, he doubted his talent and ability, and his spirits collapsed. A friend heard that he was in a slump, and he took a train to Hartford, Connecticut, and invited Lou to join him for a steak dinner. During that dinner, Lou poured out his frustrations, and his friend could see that the player’s confidence was shot. So his friend spent the evening telling Lou that all hitters go through slumps, that even Ty Cobb failed to get hits six or seven times out of every 10 tries. But he told him that eventually, good hitters start hitting again, and his friend reminded him that he was a good hitter. After dinner, Gehrig walked

with his friend to the train station and thanked him for coming. The next day, Lou started blasting the ball again, and over the next 11 games, he came through with 22 hits, including six home runs, and his career took off.

He decided not to quit after all. Yes, we are all entitled to our own opinions, but do you remember what Grandma used to say? “If you

don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Be the hand that lifts someone up when they have fallen. Be the hug or the smile that someone needs when they have no one else. Lend a listening ear when someone needs to talk. You never know if YOU just might be that person who keeps someone from committing suicide or doing something that they really shouldn’t be doing! Be someone’s blessing.

Rev. Grace Alfieri was born and raised in New Jersey where she pastored the church in which she grew up. Her father pastored the church before her. She retired to Etowah, Tennessee, in 2013 and has 3 children and 3 grandchildren.

Bible Study Company is an online study Bible and a social media community. Our mission is to study scripture to live a praiseworthy life to God. Our hope is a "Company" of believers will study scripture which in turn, causes obedience and service to God. Pew-sitters will grow into disciples. Disciples then become teachers and bear fruit for Christ.

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