From the Head of Junior School, Brooklyn Park

More than Lasagne: Offering True Encouragement

During the summer holidays, I read a book by Max Lucado, called How Happiness Happens. In it, there is a discussion of the great loss of joy in our modern society and the ‘secret’ that happiness happens when you give - both to the receiver as well as to the giver. It is a biblical principle that we know, yet can oftentimes forget about in the day-to-day busyness of our lives. The New Testament contains more than fifty “one another” statements that are practical principles for ‘making happiness happen’. In the book, it focuses on a condensed list of 10 of these principles:

Encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
Bear with one another (Ephesians 4:2)
Regard one another as more important (Philippians 2:4)
Greet one another (Romans 16:16)
Pray for one another (James 5:16)
Serve one another (Galatians 5:13)
Accept one another (Romans 15:7)
Admonish one another (Colossians 3:16)
Forgive one another (Ephesians 4:32)
Love one another (1 John 3:11)

I found the chapter on admonishment particularly interesting. I’ve always heard that word and associated it with correction, and that in a negative sense, but in biblical context the word literally means “putting in mind”. Max Lucado writes that

'to admonish is to put truth into someone’s thoughts. It might take the form of discipline, encouragement or affirmation.'

I have never thought of it in quite this way.

Admonishment, or speaking truth, is a particularly powerful way to inject God’s truth into a moment of despair. God’s word is full of promise after promise that gives hope in the face of difficult times and those are the injections of truth that we can hold on to and share with others who need to hear it.

Over recent weeks, I have encountered a number of people in my world who are facing incredibly difficult circumstances, and when talking with them it’s so hard not to feel utterly useless. Last week, I had a moment of feeling exactly that - useless. I’m not a doctor. I don't have a magic cure in my back pocket that I can whip out and offer. Sure I can cook a meal, or help in some other practical way to make life a little easier, but lasagne doesn’t change a diagnosis or restore a broken body. I went home feeling quite unsettled, struggling with feeling helplessness and the sense of not being able to do enough.

As I cooked dinner that evening, I put on some worship music. Song after song brought the admonishment I needed. I needed to be reminded of the truth—the truth of God’s promises in His Word: that He never leaves or forsakes us (Deuteronomy 31:8), that He is a miracle-working God, capable of all things (Jeremiah 32:27), that through every season - whether high or low - He does not change (Hebrews 13:8), that He does not waver, that He is for us, and that He is more than enough.

This is the truth that gives us hope! Hope that we can share with those who are facing impossible circumstances. We can share truth and we can pray. In fact, it’s not just that we can pray - we should!

I felt God so strongly reminding me that when those around us are facing impossible circumstances, we are not useless, but we have the most powerful tools at our disposal to share - prayer to stand in the gap for others, and God’s incredible truth and promises to share.

That’s definitely better than lasagne.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

Marni Greenwood

Head of Junior School, Brooklyn Park