Some Words Of Encouragement

Every once in a while I need a note of encouragement. I have filed away in my computer some quotes that often provide that encouragement for me. I try to extract from every book that I read at least one comment that down the road will brighten or challenge me when I’m having a bad day. I have used them often.

I am going to share four of these with you. I hope that they brighten your day as they have mine and that they will challenge you as they have me.

Michael Feiner: The Feiner Points of Leadership, p. 163

It’s substance and character, not style, that determine followership. That’s why charisma can’t sustain followership in the long run. Authenticity can. A leader’s willingness to be real and genuine, to be himself or herself, is what ultimately engages and hooks people.

Dr. Larry Crabb: Finding God, p. 41

As we explore our own lives, we must never get so immersed in ourselves that we fail to remember that there is something far more wonderful to ponder. If I am to reject Lamech’s approach and come to God as Enoch came, I must surrender my fascination with myself to a more worthy preoccupation with the character and purposes of God. I am not the point. He is. I exist for him. He does not exist for me.

J.I. Packer: Hot Tub Religion, p. 56

A Christian communicator has to learn that he cannot present himself as a great preacher and teacher if he also wants to present God as a great God and Christ as a great Savior. There is a pair-0-scales here. Only as one’s assertion of self sinks will God be exalted and become great in one’s estimate. Self-effacing humility before God is the only way to uplift him.

Bill Hull: The Complete Book of Discipleship, p. 24

Following, however, isn’t short term. Discipleship isn’t a program or an event: it’s a way of life. It’s not for a limited time, but for our whole life. Discipleship isn’t for beginners alone; it’s for all believers for every day of their life. Discipleship isn’t just one of the things the church does: it is what the church does. It’s not just part of the advancement of God’s kingdom; the existence of serious disciples is the most important evidence of God’s work on earth. Without enough of these workers, the task languishes and the work remains incomplete.

You can do something for me

As I said at the beginning, these quotes have been both an encouragement and a challenge to me. I hope that they are to you as well.

I would very much appreciate it if you could take a couple of minutes and send me a quote in return. Is there something that someone wrote that has been helpful to you over the years. If I get enough of them, I will publish them in future entries.