Encouragement

Originally posted February 4, 2010

There are some definite times of encouragement in my faith journey. The first is by my pastor when I was just in elementary school. Here's something that really speaks to me. As an elementary student, I didn't have to go to some special retreat - I'd never been in fact. I didn't have the pristine example of my parents, they were new at exercising their faith. I didn't have Godly friends, I was in a public school and really - elementary, how bad can you be?

But I was bright enough to listen in "Big Church" and hear the Word of God clearly speaking to me that I needed to be saved. Week after week, the pastor would end giving an invitation. No matter what the scripture references, it was important that we received Christ for our salvation. I often refer to this as Chinese Drip Torture; after a long time, the dripping gets to you.

This was just the first step of encouragement...

The next time I was moved spiritually was when I started dating this girl. I dated lots of girls, but this was the first girl that was challenging me to think about my faith. What I didn't know was that I was also challenging her to think about her faith. We started a journey of questions like any High Schooler would ask, "Are tattoos OK?", "What does the Bible say about dinosaurs?", "Young earth, old earth?", "What is wisdom?", "What is love?"

With time, we encouraged each other to press into the things of God and his word. The result is we both grew closer to God.

My last great awakening was in College. I was coming off the most violent emotional roller coaster you could experience in college. Spiritually low - but still a men's Bible study leader, member of InterVarsityChristianFellowship, Ski Club president elect, Student Council - and yet not representing Christ at all in my life. I came home that first summer thinking I knew plenty about God and the Bible. But I was wrong.

My younger brother invited me to a Bible Study. A High School Bible Study. I had to drive. But God had something very special in store for me. This was the launch point for real Christian living. Quinn was his name and what he started in me has continued to this day.

Pastor Larry Allen Married my wife and I. And I married the girl that I dated that I spent hours on the phone with asking questions about God and the Bible. We both accept God's will and have a solid faith in his Word as a result of the work God did in Quinn (and other encouragers of the faith).

Father, I thank you for each person who’s encouraged me on my faith journey. I want to encourage someone else today and build them up in the faith.