Encouragement

Every once in a while, one of the daily Scripture readings speaks to me deeply and in a way I need to capture and save as a reminder. In straightening up my office this morning, I came across one from 2 Cor 1: 3-7 that I had printed from June 8:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and God of all encouragement,

who encourages us in our every affliction, so that we may be able to encourage those who are in any affliction with the encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged by God.

For as Christ's sufferings overflow to us, so through Christ does our encouragement also overflow.

If we are afflicted, it is for your encouragement and salvation; if we are encouraged, it is for your encouragement, which enables you to endure the same sufferings that we suffer.

Our hope for you is firm, for we know that as you share in the sufferings, you also share in the encouragement.

Encouragement is such an important part of Christian life, and never more so than now during these times of economic upheaval. As Christians, our faith life can only grow and prosper in community with other Christians, because we need encouragement. And even more so, we need to give encouragement to others and exhort each other to persevere when our lives are difficult and our faith is tested.

I personally have been encouraged by many people, including a number of you readers of these musings. Lately I have also been encouraged by something new I have noticed in both my business and personal life: a sense and a realization I see in many people that we are all in this together. When times are good, it's easy to believe that our own good fortune is the result of our own efforts rather than the gift that it truly is. But in times of distress and uncertainty, we really start to see things more clearly -- that we are dependent first on God, and through God we are dependent on others for every good thing we receive.

In my work, I often talk to people who have lost their jobs. I believe it is so important to help and encourage others in this position -- not only is it the Christian thing to do, it's just good for everybody. And even if I don't have a lead on a job, I try to keep them in mind as openings come across my desk, and at minimum try to encourage them.

I say this not to make myself out to be some hero or saint; this is also good business. But in talking with these people, they tell me others are encouraging them too. People are taking the time to listen and network and re-connect, where maybe before they would not have taken the time.

It's the same in our business development efforts for my company. Those of you that have done business development know how hard and discouraging and fruitless it is much of the time. It's a numbers game, and for every piece of work you win there are a hundred rejections. And yet now what I'm seeing is a new level of compassion and connectedness among the people I talk to.

One of my partners and I have been trying to use LinkedIn to reconnect with everyone we've ever worked with in hopes of getting work. It's become a running joke between us that almost every time we contact someone, they say the same thing in exactly the same way: "Thanks for reaching out to me." It's uncanny, but this little phrase reinforces just how important our human connections are. In "reaching out" to them I have actually encouraged them and made them feel valued, and in acknowledging that gift they have in fact returned the favor.

We may look back on this recession as a very important gift. I spent time with my good friend Don Lahey over a glass or three of French wine last night, and we talked a little bit about hard times and setbacks in our lives. In the moment, and while these unfortunate things are happening to us, they seem absolutely, 100% bad. Yet haven't you ever looked back on something painful that happened to you, and realized that without that painful event, something else beautiful and important in your life could not have occurred? That in fact, the positive event was a direct result of the negative? We are very poor judges of the goodness or badness of particular times in our lives. The same warning that Jesus gives about judging other people could apply just as well to judging the events in our lives.

I believe we are going to come out of this tough time in a much better place than where we started. I don't know if that will be next month, next quarter, or next year. Through this affliction God is encouraging us. He loves us so very much, more than any of us can grasp. And so I want to encourage each of you, no matter how good or bad your personal situation may be right now, to keep your chin up and your eyes open to the good that God is bringing forth out of these dark times.