Poems and Words for Your Encouragement

When will we ever learn,

To be gentle with ourselves?

To give ourselves every chance,

To live what God compels.

This abundant grace in God,

Has forgiven us so,

We might live to accept,

That to berate is not to grow.

Life is harsh enough without us berating ourselves making matters worse. To get out of the barn of self-criticism is to move out into the pasture of growth. God has saved us through His Son in order that we might grow.

***

As dark clouds descend,

Over a life turned south,

We become desperate to mend,

What we can’t utter from the mouth.

But as thoughts turn inward,

And the search now intensifies,

We are moving ever forward,

Despite what our self-esteem denies.

God wants us to search for a way out of the Labyrinth of suffering. As we search we are forgiven for thinking we are getting nowhere. We have to remind ourselves that we are actually moving ever forward. And we are, as we look back via hindsight. Trust that.

***

HOLY FATHER

Help me to be aware,

That in You I’m eternally free,

And of what it really cost You,

In order to save me.

Help me marvel sincerely now,

At the glory in Your grace,

And help me ever to continue,

To abide in seeking Your face.

And as I consider what’s before me

The precious Saviour’s gift,

Will You restore me afresh, today,

To cause my soul to lift.

AMEN.

***

Now to Him Who is Glory,

To the LORD now on High,

To Him is the Majesty,

Who no one should deny,

To Him be our offering,

Of love now confirmed,

His anointing to be proffering,

And it is not to be spurned.

When we love God, He speaks into our hearts by the anointing of His spiritual gifts. God desires we use them. This is how we love. Through the multiplicity of our spiritual gifting – to love, to encourage, to lift up and build-up through our serving – as living sacrifices of joy and peace and goodwill to all. Let us not reject this calling of God into our hearts. It is our very divine salvation of sanctification.

***

Accept being busy

As a blessing from the LORD.

Accept being of good use

As your very divine accord.

For in a person’s diligence

Is also their esteem,

In a person’s diligence,

Is power to live one’s dream.

If we refuse to be discouraged we refuse to become overwhelmed. This is a truth that may be applied. But it is a truth more relevant to some seasons of life than others. Best we are not too hard on ourselves.

***

Everyone needs encouragement,

Every now and then,

So build up one other,

Lift up both women and men.

© 2014 S. J. Wickham.