A Time To #9

Last time we looked at what we needed to break down in our lives and how we could achieve it.  Today, we look at how to build things up, most notably those individuals who God has place in our lives.  How can we make people's lives better with one simple word?  Find out below.

Encouragement and Establishment: The People Builders

To build up is a way of saying to encourage or establish something someone.  We all need encouragement and help establishing ourselves if we are going to make it in this life.  With a world that looks to hinder, scare and diminish the advancement of people, having someone there to give you a good word or a helpful push in the right direction can make the difference for a lot of us in our walk with God  Moreover, having someone help you to get something established in your life can mean the start of a ministry that is life changing for you and for others. 

Encouragement and Establishment isn't something we can just request of someone.  It has to be given.  Because of this fact, we will only focus on how to properly exhibit encouragement and help establish others. 

How to Encourage and Establish

Like in our last study, Joshua gives us a great example of encouragement and establishment.  It was while he was just a follower and soldier under Moses' leadership that God commanded Moses to encourage him:

But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see. (Deuteronomy 3:28)

God saw something in Joshua that not many else saw.  He was from a half tribe and his family was not well known.  Still, he had a passion and desire to follow God and His plan.  God saw this and commanded Moses to encourage him as the future leader of Israel. 

God is going to lead us to who we need to encourage.  Not only is God going to tell us to encourage, He is also going to tell us what to do to encourage them.  Moses was told to strengthen Joshua.  The term strengthen was used here in reference to the mind.  God knew that Joshua had the skills and talents to lead Israel, but Joshua needed to have wisdom and knowledge to lead God's children to their promise.  God is going to tell us exactly how we can encourage and establish someone.  More often than not, it is going to be with something that God has already blessed us.  For Moses, it was wisdom and knowledge.  For one of us it may be faith or discernment or any of the other gifts or talents found in the Bible.  We only need to look inside ourselves to find the tools and talents God will use to encourage those around us. 

Our encouragement of others always has a greater purpose in mind and God isn't one to leave us in the dark.  God told Moses that Joshua was to be encouraged because he was to replace Moses.  This could have been a contentious moment between God and Moses, but Moses remained obedient to God and did exactly what was asked of him.  Sometimes when we are called upon to encourage someone, it is to help establish them in an area that you are already working in ministry and the Kingdom.  Sometimes, establishing someone means replacing yourself in that area.  It can be easy to shy away from this calling because we don't want to let go of what God has blessed us with.  However, God has other things for us to do and he will lead us to them.  We just have to trust that he's not going to forsake us when that happens. 

Joshua went on to lead Israel in fulfilling God's purpose for them in establishing them in the Promise Land.  It didn't take away what God did through Moses for Israel, rather it amplified Moses' ministry.  Because of his selflessness, God's will was accomplished and Moses was directly involved in passing on the calling and will of God to the next generation.  As long as God tarries, that should be all of our goals: to live our calling and ministry to the fullest and to look for new and passionate people to help encourage and establish to take our place when God moves on to the next phase of our lives and ministry.  If we take on this selfless approach of building others, we will expand the Kingdom of God and help fulfill the promise of the Lord for His church.