Dear God, please give me the confidence and patience to be, to become, and to remain the extraordinary person you have created me to be.
Basketball great Michael Jordan retired from professional basketball after winning three championships with the Chicago Bulls. After two years away from basketball, Jordan decided to return to the game. But his return to basketball was preceded by constant training and working out. Michael had to train, refine his skills, and develop some muscles. He realized that he needed a little more muscle for his hustle. To be good at almost anything you must work at it and work on it. God has called us to become an extraordinary people. But to make it from being ordinary to becoming extraordinary, you must do that little “extra.”
Michael Jordan needed physical muscles to return to the game at his extraordinarily high level and be competitive. And competitive he was—he won 3 more NBA championships! To become an extraordinary you, more than just physical muscles are needed. Another kind of muscle is needed—the muscle of encouragement. Somebody might need a healthy dose of encouragement to keep him or her on the road to becoming an extraordinary person.
The Bible helps you to build that important muscle of encouragement, which can be useful in every area of your life. “So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” (2 Thessalonians 2:15-17)
Before you meet God, you are just an “ordinary” person. After an encounter with Jesus Christ, you have that special “extra” added to your “ordinary” life! 1 Corinthians 5:17 tells us that: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
God wants you to become an extraordinary person and live an extraordinary life. To do that, you must encourage others and be encouraged yourself. When you’re stressed, lean on God’s strength. When you’re depressed, depend on God. Amid pressure, press on and praise God. In trials, trust God. In sickness, stretch out your hands to God in prayer. In difficulties, devote yourself to God. In hardship, hope in God. Through adversity, adore God. In times of uncertainty, look up to God. Encourage yourself. Be that extraordinary person you are meant to be!
Wisdom for Your Week
The muscle of encouragement helps you build a stable and extraordinary life.