Are you a life giver?

My second grade teacher did something to me that would influence my life for over 27 years. In my life she was a life taker not a life giver. You can read this story in my post http://realmenrock.blogspot.com/2008/11/my-story-school-years.html. Her actions of embarrassing me caused me to struggle with being in front of people and a result was I was an underachiever.

For years I would turn beet red when I would be pointed out in a crowd. It did not matter whether I was being pointed out for a good thing or a negative thing I would get so embarrassed by people looking at me.

When I was 34 years old I decided that I was tired of allowing something that happened to me when I was seven to control my life. I joined "Spokesman Club", a speech club for men to help them develop speaking skills for leadership. It was tough and took 8 years but I overcame what I experienced when I was seven because of the encouragement of other men and leaders .

My second grade teacher was a life taker but these men where life givers. They practiced the following scriptures:

1 Thessalonians 4: 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.

1 Thessalonians 5: 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Hebrews 3: 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

Because of their actions I was able to root up what someone else had planted in my life. These men plowed the field where new crops would grow.

Today a new crop is being harvested and the seeds from that crop is being sown in the lives of other men through this blog and through a men's group I lead on Thursday evenings.

If you are suffering from negative words that someone has sown into your life I encourage you to find a group of men you can partner with to root out those lies you have lived under. Find men who will sow into your life words of truth and encouragement.

If you are a man who has had positive words spoken over you and you are living a life of encouragement I want to encourage you to use that blessing to sow words of life in the lives other men. Discouraged men need encouraged men to come along side of them and sow the words of life into their lives.

So my question for you today is:

"Are you a Life Giver?"

This post was stirred in me by the sermon: "The Neglected Key to Holiness" by Mark Warner of the Vineyard Church in Overland Park, KS