Encourage Yourself, Android Style

In a recent Midwinter address, Covenant pastor Ray Johnston of Bayside Church said that the most important thing that he did as a pastor was to make sure he stayed encouraged. And as I reflect on my own experiences as a worship leader (both as a paid vocational leader and as a volunteer), I agree with his assessment. The times when I’ve been at my best were times when I made sure my own fire was stoked and came into the church with an overflow ready to share with others. The times when I was least effective were times when I came in struggling, cast down, and overburdened.

The Message paraphrases Romans 12:1 thusly:

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.

This kind of preparation and encouragement doesn’t happen by chance. It must be done intentionally if it is to be done at all. And these intentional actions must be connected to the hubs of our everyday interactions with ourselves and others.

So in some households, that means putting notes of encouragement on the kitchen refrigerator, or in the mirror in the bathroom or bedroom. Maybe some might put scriptures on a bulletin board or a white board in their personal work space.

For me, that means making sure the Scriptures are hitting me where I live, which is on my phone.

My phone has become the nexus of my social life. I’m not proud of this, but it’s true. If you happen to see me at a social engagement and I’m standing off to the side looking down, I’m reading something on my phone.

Well, we just upgraded my wife’s phone and now we both have the same Android phone, which comes equipped with several home screens. Recently, she showed me some new widgets on her home screen that offer her Scriptures on her identity in Christ and uplifting psalms of praise.

My first thought was, hey, that’s pretty cool, too bad my home screens are already full.

And then my second thought was, waitaminute… what’s really most important here?

If we’re going to make sure we stay effective as leaders, we must interact with the Word of God in our most regular and personal spaces.

Which spaces work best for you?