Thursday

Have you ever played the game Jenga?  The one with all the wooden slabs, initially  formed in a small tower and, by the end, a  precarious one? The trick with Jenga, as any  Jenga professional will tell you, is to be slow  and methodical instead of fast and impulsive.  Taking out each piece requires precision, and  precision requires patience. 

If you’ve ever played Jenga, you know the  agonizing waiting of the game, pleading  silently that your pull won’t be the pull that  ends the game. Although it takes measured  and unhurried movements to construct  the column, it can topple over violently in a  millisecond. 

Perhaps this is why Paul uses the metaphor  of building when discussing encouragement.  Encouraging others is a patient task: laborious  and time-consuming to do right. Kind words  take ample amounts of reinforcement,  whereas one hurtful comment can cause a  violent collapse in someone’s soul. 

And so, this week, look for ways to patiently  encourage others to slowly but surely build  up the people in your community until they  are strong, vibrant individuals. And remember  that one impulsive word can destroy in  seconds. 

• Who can you encourage today?