August 6, 2010, II Corinthians 7

Key Verse:

I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.

(II Corinthians 7:4)

Central Truth:

It's not about me, it's about what God is doing around me.

GIVE PRAISE

I never thought that I could learn so much by coaching t-ball. This year, we started with several young players who had never played before. Watching them learn the game and seeing the light bulbs "click" on as the season progressed motivated me. It gave me a feeling that I was making a difference for the child, and it made me begin to feel personally invested in the child. It makes you want to watch them as they move up to the next level to see if you have helped to guide and shape their game correctly. I also learned that you have to teach each kid differently and talk to them differently, and if you can't get that part down, the kids won't respond how you want them to. I also learned that kids like direction; they like knowing exactly what to do and how they are supposed to do it. They also like to be recognized when they do it right.

When Paul wrote the Corinthian Church the letter in II Corinthians, I have a feeling he had discovered some of the same things about leading a church. This wasn't the first letter that he had written to them. His first letter was a little more harsh, calling them out on the things that they were doing wrong and letting them know that these things had to be corrected. After that letter seemed to be disregarded, he sent his assistant coach, Titus, out to give a little more instruction. Titus returned with good news, and Paul wanted to let the church know that he loved them and was proud of what they had accomplished.

Please don't get confused, I know that running a church is a million times more difficult than running a t-ball team. Paul had much bigger issues to deal with than running all the way through first base. But, one thing still applies in both situations: it is very important to praise when someone does something right. Paul wanted to let the Corinthians know that he had a lot of confidence in them. He mentions in Verse 16 that he has "complete confidence." Wow! Those are powerful words! Imagine the boost that this letter gave to the church.

Now think about how some encouraging words could affect someone in your life. Imagine how far a few little words of encouragement could go for someone who just accepted Christ. Imagine how a few words could affect the life of a child who just made a wise choice for Christ and are, as a consequence, placed against popular culture and many of their friends. Imagine a person who is down and could just use some love and encouragement.

I challenge you today to take the time to encourage two or three people in your life. Invest 10 minutes out of your day to text, e-mail, or call someone, and you will be making a difference in that person's life today!