Jesus With Skin On

The Message Bible talks about the ministry of Paul in this way:

With things back to normal, Paul called the disciples together and encouraged them to keep up the good work in Ephesus. Then, saying his good-byes, he left for Macedonia. Traveling through the country, passing from one gathering to another, he gave constant encouragement, lifting their spirits and charging them with fresh hope.

There are times in life when it just gets tough and it seems that we only hear the negative voices and the complaints of others. In the midst of those storms, it is so good, so refreshing to be encouraged. I have been reminded of that throughout the entire morning this morning. Paul was accused by the writer of the book of Acts of being one who gave constant encouragement and charged people with fresh hope. I have been the recipient of those who align accused with Paul today. There have been a small handful of people who have made it their duty and call today to be my encouragers in this time and in so doing have charged me with fresh hope, even if they have not realized it. The storms are still there and I'm sure that the negative voices are still lingering but they seem more bearable now. Nothing has changed in the storm. No major break through has come that has calmed things in the storm. But the encouragement of people who look a lot like Jesus have calmed things in me.
It always does my heart good when people who claim to follow Jesus look like Him. It does good for us as believers to be on the receiving end of people who love and talk and act and live like Jesus from time to time. It really does charge us with a fresh hope! If you've been that encourager, if you've been the one who spoke the positive when it seemed like there was only negative or that lifted someone up who was being torn down, let me say Thank You. Maybe you encouraged someone and they never told you, but you gave them fresh hope. I know that is what people have done for me today. And in my eyes and in the eyes of those you encourage, those of you who stand accused like Paul of being a constant encourager and a charger of fresh hope, from where I see things, you look a lot like Jesus with skin on. Thank you.