By Rachael Devlin
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
This verse was recently brought to life for me in a beautiful way. Encouraging others comes natural to me, and what I love to do. To build others up, and to give them hope. This day, however, I was blessed to be on receiving end of this precious gift. Last week at our monthly homeschool fair, I was just having a normal conversation with two fellow homeschooling mommas who I don’t get to see all the time. They each separately and unexpectedly gave me an encouraging word about my boys and just parenting in general. It was out of nowhere it seemed, but was just what I needed. It was a God wink from the Lord.
“Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!” (Proverbs 15:23)
These mommas had no idea that they were being used by God, but they had just a word I needed to hear at the right time. What they didn’t know, was the homeschooling day before was less than ideal, and not “one for the books” by any means. One of those days where you are like, “Why on earth am I homeschooling again?!” It was not an easy day, nor was it a fun one. However, these two mommas gave me words that fed me what I needed and gave me life. They each saw the fruit coming from my boys’ lives, instead of the few weeds that I saw growing next to the fruit tree.
Just like those words brought me hope, it is no different with God’s Word.
“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4)
God’s Word has power to encourage and to give us hope. Our words have power. Power for life or death. Let us use them for His good. To strengthen and build up. To build our kids up. Let us see the good and the progress they make with their schoolwork and in life, not just what is “wrong”. Let life come from our mouths to support our kids and other homeschooling mommas in this journey with us, and anyone else God puts in our path today. He has given us such a simple, yet oh so powerful tool to use. Our words.
