Demolition or Construction?

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. . . Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers. . . encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. . . always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
(1 Thessalonians 5)


One day Pastor Geraldo took Dierde and me to our practicum. When we arrived he saw his wife there and said, right in front of us, you are beautiful. A few Sunday´s ago I was having a horrible time trying to get ready to go to church, when I finally came out, instead of Pastor Geraldo asking me why I took so long he said, you look pretty. This past weekend at Sao Paulo our entire group was lavished with compliments on our Portuguese (we are all still struggling). It seems that everywhere we go the Christian community has something encouraging to say to us.


I have also been prayed for. One night my Mãe called me into my brother's room and had me kneel at the bed while the family gathered around to pray for me. They prayed that they would know what I needed, that I would not get homseick, that I would learn a lot. . . the list goes on. It was not just a ``Hey let me throw this up to Jesus for you´´ type of a prayer, it was a real touching heaven kind of prayer.


It is not only my family that has this attitude towards encouragement and prayer, it is the attitude of the church; and it is convicting. It is so easy to get caught up in trying to impress everyone around us, and miss the biger picture. At first I tried to rationalize it. I said,`` I worry so much about what everyone else thinks because I was critiqued in my home church´´, but then the voice of the Savior rang in my head ``Are you any different?´´ I must confess it is a lot easier to tear people down than to build them up. It is easier still to take prayer lightly, then we don´t have to believe that God can change us; it gives us an excuse. But prayer and exhortation are commands and I believe that they compliment each other.


So, the question is. . . Are we going to build people up in our prayers and with our words? Or, are we going to continue to degrade people with our words, and limit our vision of God´s capability in others lives?