Traveling Giving Encouragement

Do you have friends who are wonderful at coming to your aid when you need some encouragement? I do and I love them dearly for it! I never thought of the Apostle Paul that way, yet I came across this verse...

Acts 20:2-3

² He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece,³ where he stayed three months...

Paul was traveling, and what did people notice about him? The people noticed that he went "speaking many words of encouragement to the people." Wow! I appreciate just a quick couple of words from my friends, yet Paul was hallmarked with being a person who spoke many words of encouragement to those he came in contact with as he traveled. Instead of being a traveling salesman, he was a traveling encourager; (Pause.) a different picture than what I typically thought of Paul. Maybe it is because of the life he lived before Jesus knocked him off his horse! Once again it causes me to stop and have a moment of amazement at what the regenerating work of Christ does in the heart of a person. Paul had been known for a lot of things before he encountered Jesus. Encouragement would not have been on that list.

His life is quite a challenge to us in many ways. I think I will take up this one simple thing this summer and look for opportunities to speak words of encouragement to the people I meet along the way. How about you?