“…You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more.”

I was reflecting on great leaders who we remember and there seems to be a number of common threads among them and each one of them we come back to that it was not what they accomplished, but rather how they achieved those accomplishments.  I’ve come to recognize that great leaders, the people we want to follow, are those who put others before themselves.  Just look around.  Who do we respect and want to hear more from? Those who always put themselves first, or those who lift up, encourage and shine the spotlight to others? Imagine that in the fabric of our company was never taking a credit on our own?  I’m pretty sure that would be a special and desirable culture!

Paul, Silas and Timothy wrote their letters to the Thessalonians and they were quick to encourage them to live to please God.  Notice the great feeling the Thessalonians must have felt to have these three leaders of the church recognize that they were doing well in their faith journey and then to be encouraged to keep it up!  We’d be better at representing Christ to others if we are encouraging more!  We can do that today! Tomorrow, we will explore how after we encourage others we can ask them to spread that encouragement.  Until then, be encouraged in what God is doing in and with you today!

Reference: 1 Thessalonians 4:1 (New Living Translation)