A Little Kindness and a Surprise Invitation

LoveLetter February 2022

 

Hello Friend,

I’m starting this LoveLetter the day after Valentine’s Day, so I’m recovering from making 33 homemade Valentine’s Day cards with the kids Sunday afternoon, and cleaning my whole house yesterday so that my sweet family would actually have a clean house to come home to on Valentines Day. I do clean on special occasions LOL

I am praying that God will give you a fresh revelation today of His love for you. One way I like to make room for my heart to receive His love, is to just sit alone with Him a few minutes, close my eyes, and tell Him that I love Him. He loves that. And then I wait awhile and just listen so I can hear His words of love in return. It’s such a good slow down moment and reminder that I am fully loved and accepted—at all times.

Word of Encouragement

I went to the DMV today to get my driver’s license updated, and I had an experience that got me thinking about some things. I won’t share it all here, but I do want to share some things I thought about as I sat in the waiting room…

Smiles

Smiles are important. They show acknowledgement, respect, and care toward others. A smile shared between two people can be a powerful exchange. Think of how it feels to pass by someone who keeps their eyes down, or who looks but doesn’t smile. Maybe it seems like a little thing, but it might be a big thing to someone who feels disconnected, lonely, or discouraged; it might be an encouragement to a frazzled mom with young kids, or the highlight of someone’s day who lives alone and doesn’t have very much interaction with people.

Kindness

A smile is a simple, but significant act of kindness. We can offer kindness to others just by making eye contact and smiling. A kind word, a smile, assisting someone who might need help, or a silent prayer are all simple ways to love people and show them kindness.

Atmosphere

We carry an atmosphere with us, and we can shift the atmosphere in a room with whatever we bring in with us. We have no idea what people are facing or what burdens they are carrying around with them. There may be a spirit of heaviness in the atmosphere, or of anxiety, shame, hopelessness, or isolation. But we can bring God’s light and love into the room, as we carry in with us an atmosphere of kindness.

Influence

We have more influence than we know. The front desk clerk at the DMV, for example, probably helps hundreds of people every day. She has a tremendous influence over the atmosphere in the building as she chooses whether to greet each person with a smile and a kind word, or a scowl and a sharp tone. Because after their encounter with her, they go sit in a room-full of people who have also just encountered her. That’s a lot of influence.

Encouragement

Offering an atmosphere of kindness to someone in need of encouragement can make a big impact, not because it changes their circumstance, but because it changes their perspective. Encouragement is a deposit of courage into someone’s heart, cheering them on so to speak, to keep pushing through the difficulty they are facing.  See? en-COURAGE-ment.

Everyone is fighting a battle

I definitely feel the spiritual battle that goes on.  I feel opposition with all of the good things… particularly with writing, with raising my kids, and with my marriage. And it often comes by way of DIScouragement, which is, of course, the opposite of ENcouragement. What I’ve realized for myself, is that in order to keep doing what I feel called to do, I need a steady diet of encouragement. That means I need spiritual food. I need to read and hear inspiring words, I need to be reminded of God’s truth, and I need friends and mentors that cheer me on.

Definition of Encouragement

Miriam Webster gives this definition of Encourage: “to inspire with courage, spirit, or hope.” Some of the synonyms it gives are: Embolden: “to fill with courage or strength of purpose;” Inspirit: “instilling life, energy, courage or vigor into something;” Hearten: “implies the lifting of dispiritedness or despondency by an infusion of fresh courage or zeal”

To encourage someone means we are offering them courage or hope, we are replenishing their strength of purpose, we are bringing life that energizes them, and we may even be lifting away dispiritedness or despondency.

Encouragement in Scripture

When we see the word encourage or encouragement in Scripture, it is translated from:

the Hebrew word ḥāzaq: to strengthen or make strong

the Hebrew word lēḇ: the heart, feelings, will and intellect; the center of anything

the Greek word  paraklēsis or parakaleō: to call near, comfort, desire, exhort, or pray

parakaleō comes from para (from, besides, near) and kaleō (to call, call by name, invite)

From the meaning of the Hebrew words, we could say that with encouragement, we are helping to make strong the heart, will, intellect, or emotion of another. So we are helping to strengthen the heart and soul of another.

From the meaning of the Greek words in the New Testament (under the New Covenant), we see that with encouragement comes the idea of an invitation. When we encourage someone, we are inviting them to come near (literally it means to call them by name). Isn’t that just how a smile feels? When we are kind, we are opening our arms, we are welcoming, we are inviting another person to come near, already accepted.

What is it we are inviting them into when we encourage them with kindness? 

Galatians 5:22

Of course we know that kindness is a fruit or manifestation of the Holy Spirit Who lives within us (Galatians 5:22). And the Spirit is given permission to come forth through these ‘earthen vessels’ as we yield to Him, allowing Him to express Himself and His nature through us.

Here are two invitations in Scripture that come to mind:

John 7:37-39

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive (John 7:37-39).

And

Revelation 22:17

the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. Rev 22:17

An Invitation to the Water of Life

When we offer others love and encouragement, we are inviting them to come and drink the water of life. And we are inviting to them to taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8) We are giving them a taste of God’s goodness. People don’t need another invitation to church. They need an invitation to the water of life! And this is what happens every time we manifest the fruit of the Holy Spirit toward someone. Even a small, seemingly insignificant act of kindness brings heaven to earth and extends an invitation. The Spirit and the Bride say “Come!”

Revelation 22:1-5

And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever (Revelation 22:1-5).

Heaven is a place more beautiful and more true than we can imagine, and by His Spirit, we carry the kingdom of heaven within us here on earth, as rivers of living water flow out of our hearts, inviting ‘whoever desires’ to “Come!”

Prayer

Father, we want to be vessels of your love and encouragement to others. Show us how, quicken our hearts to recognize all of the opportunities you give us through the day to offer kindness, to encourage, to extend your invitation to “Come and drink.”  Make us ready, Lord. Give us courage and strength so that we can offer courage and strength to others. Purify our hearts and heal our wounds, so that we can be free to carry an atmosphere of kindness that invites hurting people to the water of life. 

 

Heart Matters

Some reflection questions:

1. What is your current ‘sphere of influence?’ Think of the many facets of your daily life and the people that you encounter throughout your week. Pray and ask Holy Spirit to bring all of those settings and the people in each setting to your mind, and write them down. Your sphere of influence may include your family, your friends, co-workers, your doctor, the cashiers at your grocery story, your church family, etc. You might be surprised how big your sphere of influence really is!
2. Ask Holy Spirit, What kind of atmosphere do I carry? Listen and write down what you believe you hear Him say.  We can also ask Him to deal with whatever He sees within us that may be hindering us from carrying an atmosphere that reflects God’s love. Another thing to consider is that “kindness” may not be your word. Ask Holy Spirit to give you a word for the atmosphere you are meant to carry. Maybe it’s an atmosphere of Joy. Maybe it is an atmosphere of Meekness (Strength that offers Gentleness). Maybe an atmosphere of peace. Maybe an atmosphere of bold faith.
3. Have you struggled with spiritual opposition in the form of discouragement? If so, try to write down specific statements that come to mind. Then, ask Holy Spirit to reveal the false beliefs, and to give you statements that replace those lies with His truth. If you feel like this is something you are struggling with, consider sharing with a spouse, friend, or counselor, and ask them to help with identifying the lies, and replace them with the the truth.
4. Ask God to highlight opportunities to you throughout the week to show kindness and bring encouragement to people. Then reflect back over the week and journal about your experiences.

I pray you are empowered today to be encouragers through the truth of how much your kindness, smiles, and words matter to others, and so to God.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word (2 Thes. 2:16-17).

 

Love,

Chalis