Author: STANDPOINT360

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

2 Timothy 1:7 NLT

A small group of us were receiving some coaching on how to encourage healthier engagement with everyone on the team.  There was one recommendation that stood out to me above the others: Every one-on-one meeting with team members should be 60% encouragement, 30% coaching, and 10% job performance improvement. 

This recommendation is brilliant and clear. The application extends far beyond team building in an organization.  Consider other areas of life and think about what the outcomes might be if we adjusted to this in our relationships.  

Reflection: In reading Paul’s second letter to Timothy, chapter 1 has this rich combination of encouragement, coaching, and improvement:

• Encouragement: Timothy, I thank God for you—the God I serve with a clear conscience, just as my ancestors did. Night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. I long to see you again, for I remember your tears as we parted. And I will be filled with joy when we are together again. I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you. This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
• Timothy 1:3–7 NLT 

• Coaching: So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News. For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.
• Timothy 1:8–9 NLT

• Improvement: Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me—a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you.

2 Timothy 1:13–14 NLT

Encouragement

Paul give us a great example with Timothy of leading with encouragement, providing some coaching, and pointing out improvement.  Give thought as to how you can do this in your circles of influence. 

Prayer

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for reminding us to lead in our relationships with encouragement.  Thank You for providing us with good example of coaching.  Thank You for the best guidance in the world, through Your word, to be living with a sense of becoming more like You in our thoughts and actions. 

In Jesus name, Amen

Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses.

1 Timothy 6:12 NLT

Dear Jesus,

Would you help me stay the course of the faith and life you have given to me and called me to?  Help me to continue declaring You, and the invitation You give to save everyone from sin that separates us from God.  

Please help me to do this with gentleness, kindness, and compassion.  Let me have courage and strength that only the Holy Spirit can provide. Father God, I ask for wisdom and discernment in challenging moments along the way.  Thank You for giving wisdom in the moment.  I depend on You for this, as my own thinking is so limited.  

Please help me encourage people to do good with their money.  Help me to cultivate generosity and sacrifice.  Jesus, help me communicate need and opportunity.  Help me to be generous and sacrificial to others.  

I need Your help today, and every day. I understand how frail and weak I am in my own strength.  Yet, when You are living through me, there is strength, encouragement, power, and love that gives me life to share with others.  Thank You.  

As I meet with many people today, may You be lifted up and known through our conversation and actions.  

I pray for Your protection today from forces that would seek to attack my spirit, mind and soul.  Thank You for the protection of my life with Your integrity.  What a gift.  

I love You God the Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit.

In Jesus name,

Amen

God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.

Matthew 5:6 NLT https://bible.com/bible/116/mat.5.6.NLT

Satisfaction is given by God to those who pursue justice and righteousness. Justice and righteousness are both used by bible translators in communicating these words of Jesus in the English language. To understand each word a little bit better, let’s look at what scripture has to say:

• Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows. Isaiah 1:17 NLT
• There is joy for those who deal justly with others and always do what is right. Psalms 106:3 NLT
• The Lord is more pleased when we do what is right and just than when we offer him sacrifices. Proverbs 21:3 NLT
• Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Galatians 6:7 NLT
• Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. James 1:20 NLT
• Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love will find life, righteousness, and honor. Proverbs 21:21 NLT
• But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 1 Timothy 6:11 NLT

God wants us to know that He blesses us when we seek to do what is right and just on behalf of everyone with a deep satisfaction that comes only from Him.  Jesus, in a very real sense of the word, is our justice and righteousness before God.  As we live out this truth, we become the expression of everything right and fair in a world that is wrong and unfair. 

Reflection

God loves righteousness and justice.  It brings Him joy.  Come to think about it, there is deep joy knowing I have treated others right and fair.   My heart breaks when I don’t care for people in ways that fair and true.  There is no satisfaction in taking advantage of people. 

Encouragement

Justice and Righteousness are received best through Jesus.  Our relationship with Him, the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, gives us the capacity to pursue of life of justice and righteousness. This leads to a satisfaction that is found nowhere else, but in our relationship with God. 

Prayer

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for being righteousness and justice in my life.  Holy Spirit, Thank You for guiding me in pursuing a life of just and right living on behalf of myself and others. Father, Thank You for your love of justice and righteousness.  Thank You for the deep satisfaction in life that comes from living this way. 

In Jesus name, Amen

We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.

1 John 3:16 NLT

Often the challenge of following Jesus is to obey and follow through with His direction in our lives. John writes about this in very clear terms. 

• “And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is.” 1 John 3:5-6 NLT
• “Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous.” 1 John 3:7 NLT
• “But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8 NLT
• “Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.” 1 John 3:9 NLT
• “So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.” 1 John 3:10 NLT
• “This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.” 1 John 3:11 NLT
• “If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.” 1 John 3:14-15 NLT

Reflection

Following through with Jesus is critical.  We are to adjust our lives away from sinning.  We are to focus on loving others in sacrificial ways.  

Encouragement

God is for us. He has adopted us as His children.  He is showing us how to live through the example of His Son, Jesus Christ. 

Prayer

Dear Jesus, thank You for reminding us of who we are and how we are to live.  Thank You for reminding us not to accept any patterns of sin in our lives.  Thank You for calling us to beautiful and sacrificial work of loving others.  

In Jesus name, Amen