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BY: JENNIFER POAD, TX
igger,
sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.” It seems like we live in a world that is quick to attack at every opportunity. In verses 12 and 13, Paul is telling us to encourage our leaders. When someone works hard and donates
their time to be a leader, whether it’s organizing a show, being a 4-H leader, or putting on a clinic, it’s easy to pick them apart and point out the things they could do better. Instead, we should appreciate them, build them up, and maybe even help them. Pointing out the things that they did right and telling them you appreciate their effort will help lift their spirits. To be a leader of any kind can be a stressful, thankless job. Be someone that makes their job worth it. Its not just the leaders that need encouragement. Those that are struggling need it even more. Be intentional about it and go out of your way to encourage someone that you can see is having a hard time. It may make all the difference in the world
for that person to know that they are not alone and that you care. Act in the moment, right when you see that discouraged look on their face. Don’t wish that you would’ve because you never know if you will get a second chance. If everyone spent a little more time going out of their way to have an encouraging and patient attitude toward others instead of looking for ways to criticize, there would be less loneliness and depression. It takes such little effort to use your words for the benefit of others. In the meantime, I’ll keep making Costco trips, so Rigger is encouraged when he gets out of the show ring! •
Libbi’s favorite steer this year, knows that when he gets out of the
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ring, he’s going to be rewarded. His treat of choice is Oats & Honey bars. He knows the crinkle sound of the wrapping and starts drooling when she gets it out of her pocket. Libbi is convinced that the encouragement of the treat makes him behave better in the ring. I’m not sure if this is entirely true, but I know that when we encourage each other, people’s lives can change dramatically. The Bible teaches us in 1 Thessalonians 5 “12 Now we ask you, brothers and
ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER!
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