THE LOST ART OF RELATIONSHIP
how to master it through my friendship with Steve.
There is an art to encouragement. Steve and I had spoken over the phone several times in that few years after I moved to Maryland, and each time he would say something that left me feeling uplifted, strengthened, and resolved to persevere.
His encouraging words were more than just lip-service. He had been there with me in the trenches of life and waded through the strong currents of ministry. He stuck by my side and helped me navigate some difficult labyrinths.
When he told me how much of an example I was to him, I was more than humbled. I felt unworthy of his words but strangely comforted by them. He told me that when he went to train other pastors of church plants, he used my story as an example to them of how to overcome and stay committed to the task God had assigned.
When mastering the art of encouragement, it is so much more meaningful when it comes from someone who you have built a relationship with first. His encouragement meant so much more to me because of the relationship that he had taken the time to develop with me. Sure, you can encourage someone you barely know. However, the idea here is to understand the importance of the weight your encouragement carries when you have proven to be a friend even through the toughest circumstances. When you walk through the fire with a friend and encourage them in the heat of trouble, your encouragement can become a lifeline for them.
This is one of the reasons I believe Jesus came to this earth. He walked, talked, lived, and died through life’s moments. He understands what it is like to struggle. He walks with us through the most difficult and painful parts of life. His life, death, and resurrection carry so much weight behind them and become the encouragement and hope for our present and future.
Who needs you to walk with them through the fire of life and struggles of ministry? Who can you encourage today because of your relationship with them?
Steve taught me the art of encouragement. He taught me to say what is on my mind not just to think it when it comes to lifting someone’s spirits. I had allowed too many times to pass me by when I thought of an uplifting word I could share with someone. It is one of the reasons that even now, I will stop what I am doing when I think of a friend to text them and let them know I am not only thinking of them but praying for them right at that moment.